Threads of Fate: Chronicle One
by Felinephoenix
Summary: The Ellimist decides to buck the rules of the game and create a new universe for the his favorite six. Except he forgot one thing: to get rid of the Yeerks. Now it's up to Cassie to round everyone together. Problem? She doesn't remember any of them.
1. Prologue: Ellimist

Disclaimer: I have not, and never will, own the Animorphs. It's all KAA's, and this is meant to be a way of showing how much I like her work. Besides, if I owned Animorphs, it'd be a lot like this fic. And there'd be canon slash. Huzzah! =D

Author's Note: It's another one of those ideas that refused to leave. At the moment, I only know two things about this story. One, what and where everyone will be. Two, it's going to be long. Really long. I hope you guys will accompany me on the ride!

**

Threads of Fate

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Chronicle One 

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**

Prologue  
-Ellimist-

**

"Okay, then answer this, Ellimist: Did I...did I make a difference? My life, and my...my death...was I worth it? Did my life really matter?"  
I gave the dying child the comfort she needed before crossing over. What more could I do?  
"Yes." I told her. "You were brave. You were strong. You were good. You mattered."  
The human, one of those who called themselves "Animorphs", said her last words. "Yeah. Okay, then. Okay, then."  
I watched as her timeline ended and I felt a great sorrow wash over me.

I am Ellimist. Though that is not my true name, it is what I have been called by numerous beings throughout the galaxy. I believe that only the now dead human and I were the only beings in existence to know my true name.  
Many call me the meddler of the galaxy and I will not deny that is the truth. However, for the sake of the game, I cannot meddle, as I would like. I could not have saved that dying girl. She was called Rachel. It's a human name with no specific meaning to it. Or, to be honest, the meaning was lost years ago, changing from eon to eon as the opinions and attitudes of humankind changed and evolved. Her name would now have a different meaning thanks to all that she had done. Any girl named Rachel would henceforth be thought of as a strong, independent woman.  
Though I said she had mattered out of a need to comfort her, I had not lied. Rachel was much more important than she realized. On her the fates of many were saved from a doom caused by the Yeerk menace.  
Such as the fate of Tobias, as he had been named. A human name that too had a lost meaning. Tobias was a lucky chance, as had been his father. With the love that had blossomed between him and Rachel lay hope.  
Hope that had saved many in ways both direct, indirect, and to always be veiled in mystery. Hope for millions.  
It was that reason which filled me with such sorrow. I would never make any claim to know the whole future without any chance of mistake, but I could see the pain twisting in Tobias's timeline. Pain stemming from sorrow.  
I could see the timeline of Jake Berenson fade. He had dived without looking into the pool of depression, a pool of loss, sadness and pain that he could see no way out of.  
I could see timeline of Elfangor's brother, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Ishthil, twist and merge with the timeline of another. The timeline of the corrupting being known as The One. I could see the horrors of Aximili and the other beings trapped within The One.  
I could see the timeline of tortured boy who was the son of Visser One's former host. Marco, I believe he was called. I could see him falling into the same trap many humans had, of attempting trying to ease his pains by material success. I could see the pain he was trying his hardest to hide.  
I could see the timeline of the anomaly called Cassie. There was guilt and pain still flowing through her timeline, but she had been the only one to find happiness despite her sad fate. It would be on her that I would depend.

It would be on the strength of Cassie Branch that many fates would now lie. I would place my faith in the one who had the strength to let go.  
I could alter all of their fates if only it weren't for the game. I had wanted to save her. I had wanted to save Rachel.  
I wanted to spare the six of them, of whom I had grown so fond, of their continuous pain.  
I had not chosen their fate. I was not the one who was responsible for forming the guerrilla fighters who had destroyed the Yeerk Empire. That had been a happy accident beyond my control.  
Or perhaps all part of a plan being played out by a being even stronger than myself. I did not know.  
In my other life I had been called a brilliant loser. I could not deny that I felt that I indeed had lost somehow.  
They _were_ only six lives, I told myself. Six lives that had saved millions upon countless millions, but only six lives all the same. They were a happy accident I had watched unfold with no interference.

They were an accident that deserved to be happy.

I hoped the one called Cassie could handle the burden I was about to place upon her small shoulders.  
I had no doubt that she could. I chose at that moment to place my hopes on Cassie. For if I didn't, then the lives of six and millions upon millions more could be destroyed by this one act. This one bit of rebellion from a brilliant loser.

Rules of the game be damned.

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I know it's short but it's only the prologue, so that's allowed, right? Now, will you please be courteous enough to leave a review? 


	2. Chapter One: Cassie

Author's Note: I updated! Wowzer! I know it's later than I promised and blame my English teacher for that. She's a lovely lady, but a homework demon. Well, I was also a little lazy, but I was trying to update some of my other fics. Let's see...the narrator will change with every chapter, and next chapter will be Rachel, who I can hopefully write a little better than Cassie. This was my first time writing from Cassie's POV, so I don't know how good it was. And all questions about the plot will be answered in due time. You'll just have to wait. =P

**

Threads of Fate

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Chronicle One 

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"What I am actually saying is that we need to be willing to let our intuition guide us, and then be willing to follow that guidance directly and fearlessly." - Shakti Gawain

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Chapter One  
-Cassie-

**

My name is Cassie.

I've never thought of myself as someone special, and I guess I've never had any reason to. I'm not the kind of girl that stands out in a crowd; you know what I mean? I'm more the kind of girl that everybody gives strange looks to.  
"Hey, Cassie! You look so dashing in bird poop!" I look up at Andy Brigham and his lackey Tap-Tap. They're two bullies that go to my school. Big guys who think that just because they're big guys they have the right to go and harass anybody they like. It's pretty sad, but with time, they should get over it. I hope.  
"Yeah, I just _love_ the way you've got it placed all over those _ravishing_ overalls of yours." Tap-Tap said.  
I was amazed at the fact that Tap-Tap knew words like ravishing, but I kept that little fact to myself. Instead I just shrugged and let them go on. At least they weren't shoving some poor kid's head down a toilet right now, right?  
"What? You don't see the sheer beauty of your fashion sense?" Andy teased me. There was a look on his face I didn't like at all. Sure, Andy teased girls like there was no tomorrow, but he never laid a finger on them.  
Not as far as I knew, anyway.  
I picked up my backpack right about then. I knew that Andy and Tap-Tap were only insecure underneath it all, but that didn't mean I had to put up with their harassment. I walked over to another empty table across the room.  
Andy and Tap-Tap, of course, followed me. I frowned at them and put my backpack down. This was enough.  
"I'm going to get Mr. Chapman if you two don't cut it out." I told them. Both of them snickered, then burst out laughing.  
"Oh no, not Mr. Chapman!" Andy gasped in mock horror. "Anyone but him! I mean, he'll give us _detention!_"  
"No, not _detention!_" Tap-Tap mimed back. "I don't know if I can take that!" Then Andy smirked at me.  
He placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned in closer until his face was almost pressed up against mine. I froze. I should have told him to knock it off, or even shoved him off of me, but my body had gone numb. I could not react.  
"What would Mr. Chapman do for you?" Andy asked in a silken voice, a dangerous voice and he added a word I won't repeat.

Then I reacted. I know violence doesn't solve anything but Andy did deserve a good slap across the face.  
As my hand smacked against Andy's flesh and the whole cafeteria turned to look, something weird happened.

**__**

Flash!

"You don't like black people, Mr. Davis?"  
"No problem. I can turn white. Watch me." I said. Then I began changing into polar bear.

As Andy's eyes turned to ones filled with malice and hate, as the cafeteria gaped at and Mr. Chapman came running in to see what was going on, my mind was filled with one question.  
_When did that happen?_

~~~~~

"You know our school does not tolerate such remarks, Andrew." Mr. Chapman replied in a sharp-as-pins voice.  
Andy didn't even give Mr. Chapman a reply. He was too busy glaring at me to do something like that.  
I guess Mister Chapman gave up after that. He'd been trying to get Andy to apologize to me for about a straight hour and a half, and the farthest he'd gotten was a muttered "Hell no."  
Mister Chapman closed his eyes and took a deep, deep breath. "Mister Brigham, if you will not apologize to Miss Branch, then I suppose we'll have to use other tactics. Your counselor Mr. Amaranto will escort you to the detention hall for the rest of the day. Now, _leave_." Mr. Chapman and Andy stared each down.  
Andy got up in a huff. His chair swiveled to the right and hit me on my arm on the way out, and Andy used that word again.  
I thought Mr. Chapman could have incinerated the door with the look he had on his face as he started down Andy's path. After a moment, to my relief, Mr. Chapman's face relaxed a bit. He turned to look at me with regret written all over every line and crease of his face. "My apologies, Miss Branch, since Andy isn't a gentleman enough to do it himself."  
I blinked, surprised. I know that most people aren't bigots, but Mr. Chapman's reaction surprised me. He was being very nice about what had happened. Almost _too_ nice, I thought, but I brushed that away. There wasn't any reason for me to be paranoid. Mister Chapman was being a nice guy. "Thank you, Mister Chapman." I said.  
My vice-principal gave me a kind smile. "Think nothing of it. I only wish Mr. Brigham had better manners."  
I laughed. "I think that'll be a long time in coming, Mr. Chapman." Chapman laughed in return.  
"I would say you're more than likely right, Cassie." He told me. Then he gave me a speculative look and put his hand on his chin.  
"You know, Cassie, I must say I'm impressed." Mr. Chapman told me in a low, soft voice. Despite myself, I shivered.  
"Impressed with what, Mr. Chapman?" I asked as I ignored the shivers running up my spine.  
Mister Chapman shook his head. "You can call me Hedrick if you like, you know." He said, and added a wink.  
"Just not out of the office, of course." He said. I swallowed hard. My mind was hammering, screaming at me.  
_Get out of there, get out of there, get out of there..._ But I fought it back and shook my head.  
Mister Chapman was just trying to be friendly, I told myself. There wasn't anything more to it. Besides, I was his daughter's age!  
Mr. Chapman, excuse me, Hedrick Chapman, went on talking. "I'm impressed you were strong enough to not take Andy's comments personally. I am impressed that you seem to realize that you're better than whatever an ignorant little boy will tell you, Cassie." Mister Chapman gave me a look of pride. "Who knows?" He mused.  
"You might just be able to change Mr. Brigham's perspective." Chapman told me with a smile. I wished he would stop smiling.  
"Do you really think so?" I asked, eager to leave the office. Mr. Chapman nodded with full confidence. "Yes, I do."  
Then my vice-principal started rummaging in his desk for something. I waited for a moment, then I decided to take my chance and leave as quick as I could. Mister Chapman must have found what he was looking for, though, because he leapt after me. "Wait!" He cried out.  
I turned back to look at him. All Mister Chapman had in his hands was a small, white card. "Take this." He gasped.  
Against my better judgment I took it from my vice-principal's bony fingers. There was a look in his eyes at that moment that bothered me, even more than his behavior earlier. "What is it?" I asked.  
"It's for the," Mr. Chapman groaned gripped his head. Then he sunk down to the floor. I jumped to my feet and ran over to him.  
"Mr. Chapman! Are you okay?" I asked. There was a wild, crazed, horrified look in his eyes. It hurt to see.  
In a mere moment, though, it faded away. Mr. Chapman looked up at me and smiled again like nothing was wrong.  
"I'm fine, Cassie. Just a..." Mr. Chapman took a deep breath and picked himself up off the floor. "Just a migraine."  
"You should go to a doctor for that." I said, knowing how stupid it sounded. A twisted smirk crossed Mr. Chapman's face.  
"Yes." He said in a slow tone. "Perhaps I should go to a doctor." I nodded over and over, edging closer to the door.  
"Oh, and you can leave now, of course. I apologize if I scared you, Cassie." Mr. Chapman said. "Don't forget to look at that card."  
"I won't, Mr. Chapman!" I chirped. "Hedrick, Cassie." He reminded.  
"Right. I won't forget the card, Hedrick." I said in haste and ran out that door like there was no tomorrow.

When I slipped into my seat during second-period French, I looked at the card Mister Chapman had given me. Nothing spectacular, just a plain white card and these words:

**

THE SHARING

**  


~~~~~

When I got home my parents were both there, for once. I'm not a latchkey kid; of course, it's just that both my parents are vets and they both clock long hours. My dad runs the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, and my mom is a lead vet at the Gardens. I hope to follow in their footsteps someday. I _love_ animals, and I clock some pretty long hours myself helping my dad take care of sick or injured animals in our barn. It's hard but I adore every minute of it. That might be part of why I don't wear fancy clothes from Ralph Lauren or the Gap. Not only would I ruin the clothes taking care of the animals, they just aren't my style anyway. A pair of overalls does it just fine for me. Even if they are, as Tap-Tap enunciated, decorated in ravishing bird poop. Back to my parents, I love them. I'd say I'm a pretty lucky kid as far as my parents are concerned. Unlike a lot of kids I know, they trust me and they've never laid a hand or my head or yelled at me when I didn't deserve it. That makes me a heck of a lot luckier than most people are in the world and I don't know what I'd do without my parents. To be honest, I don't want to find out.  
"Hello, pumpkin." My dad said as I walked in. "How was your day?"  
"Okay, I guess." I told him. "I passed my French test and I sent a bully to detention. That's not too bad, is it?"  
"What's this about a bully?" I heard my mom asking from somewhere deep within the bowels of the kitchen.  
A second later she was in the living room with dad and me, frowning. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned Andy.  
"He's a boy in my grade who likes to pick on kids. Give them swirlies, call them names. It wasn't anything big." I said.  
But Mom used those eyes on me. I'm sure you all know the kind I'm talking about. The kind of eyes that bore right through you until every last detail is revealed. Those eyes that uncover your failing grade, the vase you broke, your crush, and everything you've ever wanted to keep hidden. She used those eyes on me.  
"What did he do to you, Cassie?" My mother asked. I wilted under those eyes. So I told her what Andy had said.  
I could see and feel their reaction. Their anger was almost tangible. "Don't worry." I said. "He got in trouble for it."  
"He better have." My dad growled. Mom's frown stayed on her face. "You do realize that boy's only a jerk, right?"  
Yes, I knew that. I nodded back. I knew that very well. Andy hadn't bothered me that much, I knew he was just an ignorant high-school kid. The person that was weighing on my conscious was Mister Chapman, whom by some miracle, Mom's eyes hadn't caused me to talk about. But, I assured myself; he was just a nice guy trying to be friend with his students. A nice guy who had migraines. That was it.  
"Well," My mother said a moment later. "Do you want to help me and your dad with dinner?"  
I shook my head in regret. "Can't." I said. "I've got French homework and an Algebra test."  
"That's a pity." Dad said. "You know what your mother's cooking is like." Mom gave him a playful tap on the arm.  
"I was only kidding!" Dad protested. I laughed and went to my room. But first, there was something I wanted to know.  
"Have you guys ever heard of The Sharing?" I asked my parents. They both looked at me with blank faces.  
"I don't think so, pumpkin." Dad told me. Mom put a finger to her lips and thought a moment. "Isn't it that new Boys and Girls club?"  
"You know, I think you're right." Dad said. "Why, honey, you want to join?" My dad asked me.  
"No, I just heard about it from someone at school." I whispered and headed up to my room to work on my homework as my parents made dinner. I would worry about Hedrick Chapman another day.

~~~~~

School the next day was interesting to say the least.

First I got Andy coming up to me and apologizing for everything he'd said. It wasn't like him at all; he was being nice and courteous to everybody, not just me. I'd heard that he'd gone around school apologizing to every kid he'd ever made fun or beaten up in his long academic career. I can't say the change was a bad one, but it was creepy. Maybe he'd undergone some sort of deep spiritual transformation in the last twenty-four hours. That theory seemed as possible as anything anyone else was coming up with.  
I bumped into Mr. Chapman fifty or so times that day as well. The first time he'd asked me if I knew where The Sharing was, then his second question was if I could come to the next meeting on Tuesday night. Mr. Chapman assured me it would be the biggest event of my entire social life. I would love it. Lucky me that I had plans with my parents on Tuesday. I was thinking about going to one of the counselors about Mr. Chapman's behavior. Or maybe his daughter Melissa. I sort of knew her from French, after all, and if he was hanging around me all the time, then what about his daughter? Call me paranoid if you want but Mr. Chapman was worrying me. The fact that I couldn't sleep the night before because I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened proved that.

I was in Algebra when it happened. I was listening to my teacher droning on and on about reciprocals divided by the tenth power or something like that. I confess I may get passing grades in it, but Algebra is not my top subject. That could have something to do with the fact that my teacher is as exciting as drying paint, but that's not his fault. He wasn't teaching the most exciting subject on the planet, after all.  
"So then you take the exponent and divide it by the denominator." Mr. Luke, my Algebra teacher, said.  
I heard some boy in the back of the class snort. "Divide the exponent by the denominator?" He asked unbelieving.  
"It sounds like instructions to make a fricking alien spaceship." One of the boy's friends added. His friends laughed.  
"Well, yeah, but it's not like we'd ever get any aliens here." Another guy in the room commented.  
Mr. Luke turned around to look at the whole class. "You can discuss the existence of extraterrestrial life in our town on your own time, kids, but this Algebra time." He said in a clipped voice.  
In the back of the class I heard a girl say "Woohoo."  
About thirty-five minutes later Mr. Luke had ended his riveting lecture on whatever it was we'd been learning.  
I started to wonder about Mr. Chapman again, which seemed to be a disturbing habit now. I felt that I should talk to someone about his odd behavior, but who? The counselors were my best bet but I didn't want to arise a lot of suspicion over what could be nothing. So whom else could I choose from, then? There was Melissa Chapman.  
Maybe _she_ knew what was up with her dad. It would be the safer route to go.  
"I'm telling you it's aliens!" I looked over to see half my class debating. Mr. Luke was back at his desk tuning us out.  
"You are so full of crap!" I heard a girl shout. "Aliens don't exist, and if they did, why would they come here?"  
"Yeah, why would they come to sunny California?" Mused a guy in the midst of the debaters.  
"To take over our brains." Said one football player (he was wearing his letter jacket) with a disturbing grin.  
"Yeah right." Said another girl, who rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you should just ask the aliens yourself."  
"How?" Asked the football player. The girl shrugged. "Go to the construction site. You know that weird 'firework incident' last night on the news? I bet you it's really aliens." The girl said with a flourish.  
"Aliens in the construction site? What a load of bullcrap." The football player muttered.

**__**

Flash!

"It's a flying saucer!" I shouted.  
"A flying saucer?" Marco laughed, but then he looked up.  
"It's coming this way." Rachel said.  
"It's hard to be sure." Jake's voice wasn't far above a whisper.  
"No," Rachel protested. "It's coming this way."  
Rachel was right. It was coming this way, and it was coming slower. Almost like it was going to crash.  
I could see it better now. It wasn't very big, about the size of a school bus. The front end was a pod. It looked sort of like an egg with a long, narrow shaft sticking out of it. There were winglike things with long tubes that glowed bright blue on the end of them. All in all, it was really a cute ship. Except for the tail thing at the end.  
"That tail thing," Jake said. "It looks like a weapon." I agreed. That thing had to be a weapon.  
"Definitely." Marco said, agreeing with Jake. The ship kept coming closer and closer to us, slower and slower.  
"It's stopping." Rachel said with a voice that I almost could not tell was my best friend's. I could tell that she couldn't believe any of this. I was having a hard time accepting it myself.  
"I think it sees us." Marco said. "Should we run? Maybe we should run home and get a camera. Do you know how much money we could get for a video of a real UFO?"  
"If we run, they might...I don't know, zap us with phasers on full power." Jake joked. Or tried to. He didn't sound very amused.  
Marco rolled his eyes. "Phasers are only on Star Trek." He said. He was trying to make this seem normal, too.  
The ship stopped and hovered about a hundred feet above our heads. Everybody's hair but mine was going in wild directions from the static electricity the ship was giving off.  
"What do you think it is?" Marco asked. I could hear the panic in his voice clear as day.  
Tobias was grinning and smiling, just like his father had come home from work. "It's going to land." He said.  
I felt like running right around then, but I knew I had to stay. I can't explain why, but I knew I couldn't leave.  
As the ship began to settle among junk and tumbled walls, I noticed burn marks down the ship. What happened?  
Everyone's hair settled back to normal. "It isn't very big, is it?" Rachel whispered.  
"It's about three or four times as big as our minivan." Jake said.  
"We should tell someone." Marco said. "I mean, this is kind of major, you know? Spaceships don't just land in the construction site every day. We should call the cops or the army or the president or something. We'd be totally famous. We'd get to be on Letterman for sure." I was sure Marco wasn't kidding, and it wasn't a bad idea, but I think he knew as well as I did, as we all did, that we could not leave. We could not leave the construction site now.  
"Yeah, you're right." Jake agreed. "We should call someone." None of us made a move.  
"I wonder if we should try and talk to it." Rachel suggested. "I mean, we should communicate. If that's even possible."  
Rachel was right and strange as it sounds, I kind of wanted to communicate with whatever was in there, if only to see if they wanted to be peaceful or kill us. Tobias nodded in agreement to what Rachel had said and stepped forward to the ships, palms open. Trying to show he didn't have a weapon of any kind. "It's safe. We won't hurt you."  
I know.  
I froze. I knew I had heard someone speak. But how? From where? I looked at Jake. Under normal circumstances, I would have been thrilled that he was looking into my eyes. These were not normal circumstances. Rachel was looking all around her trying to find the source of whatever that voice was.  
"Did everyone hear that?" Tobias whispered. We all nodded in unison in slow, reluctant agreement.  
"Can you come out?" Tobias asked whatever was inside of the ship.  
Yes. The voice answered. Do not be frightened.  
"We won't be frightened." Tobias assured it.  
Jake chose to crack a joke then. "Speak for yourself." He muttered. We all laughed nervous, scared laughter.  
A thin arc of light, a doorway, appeared from the smooth side of the pod part of the ship. The opening grew from a crescent shape to a full bright circle. Then he appeared.

My last memory was of everything fading out before I hit the floor.

~~~~~

I opened my eyes and everything looked very fuzzy. Where was I?  
"She's waking up!" I heard someone shout. Their voice sounded familiar but I didn't belong to anyone I recall.  
"Thank you." I heard our nurse say. "Cassie, how are you feeling?" She asked me.  
"I'm fine, thank you." I said, blinking my eyes until they refused to adjusted. "What happened?"  
"You fainted in Mr. Luke's class and you also took a good bop to the noggin." The nurse told me.  
"I've called your parents and they should be coming to pick you up soon." She added. I nodded to show her I understood, and she left me in a bed. I heard footsteps and I saw a girl. Five-foot-eight with perfect skin and perfect blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and impeccable fashion sense. A girl who had been my best friend in that strange memory.

Rachel Berenson.

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To My Reviewers:

Puar Briefs - I'm glad you liked the last line. It was my favorite part of that chapter, too. I loved Lackofa! And Aguella! I like Solo Cassie books, too. This one won't be a strict Cassie-only fic, though. It's more like a Megamorphs, I'd say. Still, Cassie's the big figure in all this. Go Cassie. I dunno about Erek yet. I'll try to think of a way!

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Minual - Glad you likey, now come ready. =P

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Heartsyhawk - I did update! See? And within a logical timeframe! Now you have to read more.

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Oedipal Kat - I hope this fic turns out interesting. I'm debating the C/J thing (a friend jokingly dared me not to write it in), but more than likely, this will be C/J. And as for Ronnie? **conjures up a Mary-Sue to screw Ronnie** That'll keep him happy.

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Angelofcloud9 - I'm glad you like this, especially since I really like your fic. Wow, you like my writing style? I think you're the first person to ever tell me that. l shall write more!

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JCtigerwolf4e - I'm glad you liked it! See? There's more now. I hope you like the rest.

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Chaos - Yep, the Ellimist got the smack across the head he deserves. I updated soonish, does that count? And I hope you liked this new chapter just as much!

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Julie - You think changing narrators is a good idea? **sighs in relief** That's good. And yeah, the Ellimist is irritating. He's hard to write for. Of course, he will show up again, though not until the second part of this fic a long, long time away.

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Alikat - Something tells me you better like this story! =) j/k.

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Zaron of the Red Moon - Wow, compliments. I'm...um...not sure how to respond. Gah. ** author flounders and tries to look smart and cohesive. Fails. Horribly.** I'm really glad you think it was so wonderful, though, all joking aside. 


	3. Chapter Two: Rachel

Author's Note: It's later than expected, but I updated! Yay! Let's see...the next chapter is Jake's, and we should be meeting Marco, too. Um, the project Rachel and Tobias work on is one I did in my biology class in seventh grade where we had to figured out many different colored M&Ms were in a bag and if they tasted any different. It was fun. The last thing I want to mention is that the Animorphs are all high school sophmores, a bit older than in the start of the books. Because if I hadn't done that, the next chronicle (a long way away) would be a little far-fetched. Feel free to ask me any questions, and enjoy!

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Threads of Fate  
Chronicle One

* * *

"That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way."- Doris Lessing

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Chapter Two  
-Rachel-

My name is Rachel.

I hang out with idiots.

Yeah, I guess it sounds harsh, but they were being so stupid!  
"How can you hang out with him?" asked Tiffany, a girl with a voice so annoying it could rival Fran Drescher's.  
"Yeah! That kid is _such_ a freak!" agreed Emily.  
"Rachel, you could do so much better. All he does is brood and brood 'til the cows come home! Why not date a guy more interesting?" asked Dawn. I rolled my eyes, took a deep breath and proceeded to set the facts straight.  
"One, I just said hi to him. He's a nice guy, and I don't even know him, why would I be dating him, and it's my business who I hang out with." I told Emily with a don't-give-me-any-crap tone in my voice.  
Like I could expect that from Emily. "Well, me-ow." She scorned. "Is it that time of the month, Princess Berenson?"  
I glared at Emily in her Tommy Hilfiger shirt and Levis, at her red hair and its stylish cut. At the hands on her hips.  
"Screw you." I hissed and slammed my locker shut. Then the bell rang.  
"We'll be sure to tell Mrs. Mead you're the reason we're late for History. Feel like detention, Rachel?" Emily asked as she ran to class with Tiff and Dawn following her. They were such sheep.  
Just like I was.  
_There is no way Emily Tompson is getting the better of me._ I thought as I swung my backpack over my shoulder and ran to the gym. I deserved better than the treatment The Queen of George Washington High gave me.  
What had sucked about the whole thing was that I'd really thought Emily and her little gang were decent people. They were officers on Student Council and they treated everyone nice enough from what I'd seen. So I thought, hey, why don't I go make friends with these girls? It had seemed like a good idea at the time.  
I soon figured out this 'nice behavior' of theirs only extended to when we were in classes. The first time was when I saw Dawn and Emily harassing this fat guy in the lunchroom. I told them off and they promised to not do it again.  
Until the next day, about two weeks later, when I saw them making fun of this girl in our school who was 'out'.  
Tiffany didn't seem that keen to join the hazing but she still went along with Dawn and Emily.  
The next day I confronted all three of them and once again was met with an apology. They didn't even stop it for two days.

Jesus, I thought, I can talk to whomever I want to! And that guy really _was_ nice. He'd started going to our school about a month ago and our lockers were right next to each other, but I'd never had a chance to talk to him.  
I learned that his name was Tobias and that we had Biology together. I also noticed, from the look of the baggy and dorky clothes that he wore, that he might be poor. Despite that, though, he looked like a nice, clean guy.  
I liked the way his hair seemed to always be messy no matter what he did to it. Poor Tobias must have shoved his hair out of his eyes at least fifty times while we'd been talking. I liked him. Not in a boyfriend kind of way, really, but I wouldn't mind hanging out with him sometime.  
Emily had spotted me talking to him.  
Needless to say, I was no longer a part of the Popular Squad. Good riddance.  
Besides, I had much better friends in my life and much more important things waiting for me than popularity. I just knew.  
At that moment when I'd been running to the gym and leaving the Prep Squad behind me, I felt proud of myself.  
I felt like _Xena, Warrior Princess._

~~~~~

"Rach! You're late!" I looked up to see my best friend. Melissa Chapman. She's such an awesome and cool person it shocks me. Mel's intelligent, beautiful, and though you'd never guess it, she's strong inside.  
I put my duffel bag down on the floor of the locker room. "Yeah, sorry. I had to ditch some prissy trash." I told Mel.  
Melissa started giggling. "So you got rid of Emily and them, huh? Good for you." She said. I shrugged.  
"They weren't my type anyway." I said as I took off my sneakers and pulled out my leotard. My socks then left my feet.  
"Yeah, they always did seem kind of stuck-up to me." Melissa commented as she tied her hair into a ponytail.  
"They _were_." I said. Melissa nodded to herself. "Anyway," I said as I threw my jeans into my bag and zipped it shut. "We'd better get to the gym before Coach Melody has a hissy fit." Melissa paled. She hates getting into trouble.  
So we started speeding to the gym as fast as cheetahs.  
"Hey, Mel, you couldn't lend me a ponytail holder, could you?"

Today in practice we were going to participate in that most evil event, the parallel beams. I hated those things with a passion.  
We split up into pairs of two, half of us would take one set of beams and the upper half of the gym while the others would take the lower half and the other set of beams. Melissa and I paired up (of course) and took the bars at the upper part of the gym.  
To be honest, I'm too tall to be a gymnast. Coach Melody, who insists on us calling her by her first name just so you know, thinks I'm wonderful and so does Melissa and even a few college scouts. The only problem is my height.  
Gymnasts are more than often short. They have to be. That's the reason I could never turn pro, even if I love gymnastics. Though, there are times where I wonder if it's even for me in the end. I could be a model or even a movie star. Of course, it's not like money brings you happiness. I know that. Still, though, I have more options that being a gymnast. It's not that I've gotten bored with the sport at all, it's just this weird feeling I've been having more and more.  
Like there's something else out there for me. Something I can't even imagine yet.  
That's nonsense, though. I noticed Melissa shuddering next to me. I can understand why she's nervous, the parallel bars freak me out. I slipped her an understanding smile which she returned as well as she could.  
"Don't worry," I whispered. "I'll be there to catch you."  
Melissa gripped my hand. "Yeah, I know."  
It was our turn next. Melissa decided to go first with me spotting, ready to catch her should anything happen.  
I had to hold in my green jealous monster as I watched my best friend. She was perfect. Every twist and turn of her body was controlled, perfect, flawless, and beautiful. It took my breath away.  
God, if Melissa didn't do something with that talent, I was going to morph grizzly and kill her.  
_Wait_, I thought. _Morph grizzly? What am I babbling about?_ I pushed the thought to the back of my head, however, as I flipped up onto the parallel bars. This time with Melissa ready to get my back. That was good.  
I really needed that support. Oh yeah, with Coach Melody's eyes on me, I needed that support like a lifeline.  
Yes, it's true. Me, the Unbeatable Princess Berenson (as Emily would have said), needed help sometimes.  
I just am the kind to admit it, per se. Taking a deep breath, I got ready to begin my exercise and hoped it'd be up to par with Mel's performance.

I got my body ready to begin a twirl.

**__**

Flash!

I headed at an easy trot down the sidewalk toward the Chapman home. As soon as I started moving I thought, Oh, man, if I could just keep some of this for my next gymnastics class.  
It was like grace beyond any grace you can imagine as a human. I passed a wooden fence. There was a railing up high, maybe three feet up. I looked up at it and then, before I could even think about it, I leaped.  
I sailed three feet straight up through the air, and I was an animal that stood only about twelve or thirteen inches tall. It was the same as a human being just leaping to the top of a two-story building.  
It was nothing, just automatic. I wanted to jump, so I did. I wanted to stick the landing on a narrow two-inch-wide rail, so I did. Compared to a cat, the world's best gymnast was just a big old staggering dinosaur.  
"Um, Rachel," Jake asked, his voice sounding more a little confused, "What are you doing?"  
Just practicing. I told him as I jumped back down onto the cushy grass.

"_Rachel!_"  
I felt Melissa's arms wrap around me as my back collided with a soft thud against her chest.

I'd fallen?

Coach Melody ran over to the bars. I almost winced at the panicked look on her face.  
"Rachel," She asked, breathless and stressed, "What happened?"  
I had no idea how to answer her. I wasn't even sure what had happened myself. So I told her what was the closest thing to the truth. "I lost my concentration." I told her.  
Coach Melody frowned and looked me over. "You're not hurt?" She asked. I shook my head. I didn't feel hurt.  
"I think I got her before anything happened, coach." Melissa said. Coach exhaled a long deep breath.  
"Well, that's a relief." She said, smiling at me. Then her glare turned stern again. "I want you to go change."  
I blinked. Change? Why? I could do the bars again if she wanted me to. "Have a day off, Rachel." She told me.  
"Yes, ma'am." I said and walked off to the locker room, fighting off the urge to cry boiling inside of me.  
I was a warrior. Warriors don't cry. Not even over an angry coach. Not even over memories they couldn't remember.

~~~~~

Coach had come to me a few minutes later. I was in the dressing room, sitting on a bench and pulling on my left Nike.  
"Rachel, I know it's not my place to intrude, but are you feeling well?" Coach Melody asked, her somewhat chubby face showing worry. This time I did flinch. I hadn't meant to make anyone worry. I hadn't _meant_ to do anything but my flips.  
"Not really." I told Coach Melody, forcing myself to forget the still-vivid memory of being a cat. "Just tired, I guess."  
"Are you sure?" Coach Melody asked. "I mean, you know I don't know you that well, but us teachers and coaches can be a friend to talk to if you need it." I nodded, wishing like crazy that Coach Melody and her worried face would go away.  
"I know. Nothing's wrong." I told her in the most sincere voice I could manage. Coach Melody stepped out of the locker room in a timid walk. I felt waves of guilt engulf me and carry me away. I couldn't have talked to her.  
Who could I talk to about remembering I was a cat? Who wouldn't think I was insane?  
Besides, it wasn't like I needed her help. I was Unbeatable Princess Rachel after all. I could handle it on my own.  
I picked up my backpack and duffel bag then went out back into the gym to wait for Melissa.

School was pretty uneventful until I got to talk to that kid Tobias in Biology class, which was pretty cool.  
We ended up parterning on our M&Ms project since neither of us had any other friends in the class.  
Well, _I_ didn't. I got the feeling that Tobias didn't have any friends, which pissed me off a little. He struck me as a very cool guy even though he was a bit of a loner.  
"What about your family?" I asked Tobias as we sorted the blue M&Ms from the red. "Any brothers or sisters?"  
"Nope." He said, shaking his head, then wiping his mop of blonde hair out of his eyes. "No siblings."  
"Lucky you." I said with a smile. "I love them and all, but my sisters are a pain."  
I gave him a Look. "You try watching after Sarah after she's had a bag of Pop Rocks."  
Sarah was my adorable but annoying five-year-old sister. Jordan, who was eleven, was a little better, but that girl had a developing wild streak. Stop giving me those looks, she didn't get it from me. I blame that on Dad.  
My parents, just so you know, are divorced. Not happily, either. They at least talk to each other now and then but there isn't a friendship of any kind there, and no hope of reconciliation unless it involves a big bottle of wine. Or five.  
Tobias shrugged. "If your Mom'll pay me, I'll do it." He said.  
"You mean it?" I asked. "Then I'll get a night of sleep! Yes!" Tobias gave me a that-girl-is-weird look, but he laughed.  
"Well, even I don't get paid, it wouldn't be a big deal. A night away from my uncle's would be great." Tobias said.  
"Your uncle?" I asked. It wasn't the most sensitive thing to say, but curiosity won over kindness.  
"Yeah." Tobias said in a half-whisper. "I live with my uncle one side of the coast, then my aunt on the other."  
"Are they divorced?" I asked. Tobias shook his head. "No, they're siblings and I don't think my family that screwed up."  
I chuckled a little, I hadn't been that sure Tobias was joking or not. "What about your parents? Are they..."  
"I don't know." Tobias said with a deep sigh. I winced at my lack of tact. "My mom can't take care of me, and nobody knows what happened to my dad."  
"Oh. I'm sorry." I whispered. Tobias looked up at me, his eyes shifting between surprise and shame. "Don't be."  
I bit my lip. I hadn't been trying to pity Tobias, but was it so bad for me to have a little sympathy?

**__**

Flash!

"I don't care that you ate road kill. Stop being an idiot!" I shouted at him.  
Then I took a deep breath. I'd started on a rant, and I wasn't sure I wanted to stop. "I care about you." I said.  
Then anger flooded my voice again. And when I see you doing that, I know things are going wrong for you. But you're off in your own little hawk world and no one is allowed to help you. You'd rather starve than ask for help! You can't ever admit that your life may suck because then you'll feel weak."  
I'm a hawk. Tobias said. A bird of prey. When we're weak, we die. That's the law for us. I'm not a human being. Not anymore. No one helps a hawk. A hawk lives by his eyes and wings and talons.  
I stared at him, flabbergasted. How could he say things like that? How could he not admit he wasn't human?

"Rachel?" I looked up into Tobias's worried gray-blue eyes.  
I flashed him a smile that hid my confusion. What had that been a memory of? "Did I zone out?" I asked.  
Tobias nodded in a quick shake, worrying dancing in his eyes. "Sorry," I said. Then I sort of lied. "It's been a long day."  
Tobias didn't say anything, but I could read his doubt like an open book. It was a feeling so familiar it sent chills up my spine.  
"Okay," I said in a much peppier voice. "So how many yellow than purples are there?"

~~~~~

At seven-o-clock that night, I went up to my room, bloated on pizza. I carried a cell-phone with me, chatting with Melissa.  
Then I tripped over Sarah's teddy bear, Rocky. The phone flew out of my hand as I crashed into the carpet.  
"Rachel, what happened?" Melissa yelped over the phone line.  
I scrambled to my knees and grabbed the phone. I also threw Rocky down the stairs for good measure.  
"I just tripped over one of Sarah's toys." I told Melissa. She laughed. "Ouch. God, I'm glad I don't have siblings."  
"No kidding." I agreed with a chuckle. "Anyway," I said, shifting into a more comfortable position. "What about your dad?"  
Melissa's sigh was a soft cry for pity. "He's been _weird_, Rach."  
I felt my blood run cold as a million images of vicious child and drug abuse flashed through my eyes. I swore to myself that I would kill Mr. Chapman if anything happened to my best friend. "Weird _how_?" I asked.  
"He's been acting like a robot." Melissa said. "Mom, too. They never smile, never hug me anymore. We don't talk. Mom and Dad's relationship seems so bad, now, too. It's like there's no spark. I mean, this is gonna sound gross and all, but I used to find them making out like kids. Now, nothing? They just sit in silence without doing anything! I mean, I'd rather they fight! With me, with each other, whatever! It's better than sitting in silence! _Anything_ would be better! Now, there's nothing between them. Between _us_."  
Then my beautiful, talented, kind, wonderful friend burst into tears. I didn't react at first, promising myself that I was going to kill her parents. What was wrong with the Chapmans? They'd seemed like such a nice, caring family?  
For me, they were a picture of the way families were supposed to work. Mr. and Mrs. Chapman were in deep love, and they treated Melissa like a gem. Not like my family, where the tension was thick as a brick. Not a thing like my broken family.  
"Let it out, Mel. Let it out." I urged my friend over the phone. "It's okay. Cry, you gotta get it out. It's all right."  
It took about an hour for Mel to stop crying. Maybe it was the closeness that sharing of feelings had brought.  
That moment was when I told her something I'd been thinking about ever since Coach Melody had barged in on me in the locker room, something I still wasn't sure if I wanted -- or could -- go through with. But I shared anyway.  
"Mel?" I asked.  
"Yeah?" She asked, her reply coming amongst sniffles.  
"I'm thinking of quitting the gymnastics team." I said.  
I heard a sharp _click_ as my best friend since second grade hung up on me.

~~~~~

"Mom, I won't do it again." I promised as I ran my hairbrush through my tangles for the last time.  
I hadn't wanted to face Melissa, so I "slept in late". Translation, I laid in bed thinking about Jeremy Jason McCole for an hour.  
Mom pulled on her black Aramani coat, she was getting ready for a trial that afternoon. "You'd better hope not."  
"I don't mind, but I can't drive you to school every day." Mom told me. I rolled my eyes. It was a sentence I was far too familiar with. "I know, I know, you're a very busy woman." I teased. Mom glared, but then laughed.  
She tugged on my Guess shirt. "Get into the car, you." She instructed.

My heart started skipping beats as Mom parked in the parking lot and I stepped out of the '92 Volvo. The thought of facing my best friend frazzled my nerves, but at the same time the nervousness had me feeling jazzed.  
I was pumped. Ripe to fight. I was _Xena_, and I pitied the fool who got in my way.  
I took slow steps to the front of the school, where Melissa and I had met every morning of our sophmore year.  
I made sure to keep my head held high. No one was going to intimidate _me_. I walked past the couples engaging in major PDA, past the kids blazing up behind the school and past their haze of smoke. I went past the disgruntled teachers whose cars hadn't started this morning. I went by them all, like an untouchable queen.  
I went past them all straight into Melissa's teary face. I almost froze, paralyzed by my sudden pang of guilt.  
Melissa glared at me and tears shined through her gray eyes. "Why, Rachel?" She asked in a breaking tone.  
"Why would you want to quit?" She demanded. "You and me, we've been practicing for years!"  
I put my hands on my hips. I'd worked out my answers during the night. "You know I can never turn pro." I said.  
"Why not? You're a great gymnast!" Melissa protested. I shook my head. "No way. You know I'm too tall to ever be good."  
"You _are_ good." Melissa said. Once again, I shook my head. "Not after yesterday."  
"It was just one fall, that's no reason to quit!" Melissa shouted. A couple of heads turned to look at the two of us.  
"I didn't get to explain. You hung up on me." I told Melissa. "I just want to stop for this season. I don't want to risk falling at a match."  
Melissa frowned. I could tell she wasn't happy with the idea. "I could help you." She whispered. "That's what I'm here for."  
"No." I said, surprising myself. Why was I denying Melissa's help all of the sudden? "I want to quit." I said.  
"Rachel, please don't!" Melissa begged. "So what if you're tall, and you fell? That's okay!" She yelled.  
My voice grew quiet as a secret spilled unbidden from my lips. "Not if something's wrong with me."  
"Wrong with you?" Melissa repeated. "Then, I don't know! Go to The Sharing, they can help you."  
As if by some instinct grown from a life long forgotten, I shoved Melissa away. "No! I won't _ever_ go there."  
Melissa's mouth hung open and her eyes filled with tears. In a slow, agonizing movement she swallowed.  
"Okay, then." She whispered. "Okay, Rachel."  
She ran inside the building, crying. Maybe to go get her father, though I had no idea.  
My knees hit the steps as I fought the tears streaming down my cheeks, wondering what in the world had caused me to be so cruel to my best friend. I couldn't erase her look of pain from my mind no matter what I did.

Remembering things that couldn't have happened, snapping at someone who I trusted and loved. Why?

What was wrong with me?

~~~~~

I trudged through the day like a zombie on drugs. There'd been no sign of Melissa. I hadn't seen her since I left her crying before school. Not even a glimpse of her glaring at me with a look of murder as I passed her in the halls.  
She wasn't in gymnastics, either. I told Coach Melody about my idea of quitting for the year. She didn't like it, but she did say she could understand my reasons. If I didn't feel up to it, I shouldn't compete. She also told me to not forget that if I came back, there would be a place for me on the team my Sophomore year. That was nice of her.  
Everyone stayed out of my way the majority of the day. News of what had happened between Melissa and I spread through the school like the bubonic plague. It had about the same effect on my social life that day, too.  
The only person who feigned kindness towards me was Tobias. He sat with me at lunch and we discussed plans for his baby-sitting Sarah sometime. The two of us were edging towards five to eight-thirty, with my mom paying us each five dollars plus money for a pizza next Saturday. Jordan was going to be sleeping over at a friend's.  
The special occasion? My mom was going to go a date. Ick.  
It's something I can go on without picturing, thank you very much. As for Tobias, I was grateful for his company.  
He hadn't asked me about Melissa, and for that I loved him. He'd stayed on nice neutral topics like Sarah and how many M&Ms could make someone sick. (After our experiment in Biology, we had to split the bag in half between us.)  
I was starting to hope that just maybe Tobias and I were going to become friends. I sensed that both of us just might be needing one right about now. In particular after I saw Tobias being escorted out of the lunchroom by two jerks, Andy and Tap-Tap. Hanging out with those two was only going to bring Tobias some deep trouble that he didn't need.

Trouble I also didn't want to see him get in.

Not to mention worrying about Tobias's welfare kept me from thinking about why I had remembered him as a hawk.

I found myself in Algebra near the end of the day. It's not my favorite period of the day because, and I'm just being honest here, it's filled with sexist pigs. There are a few females who share my sorrow (and a few who share my habit of combating sexists), but that's the only comfort I get in that class. It's a pity our teacher, Mr. Luke, doesn't have the guts to stand up to the chauvinists. I know he's a pretty tolerant, nice guy out of school. Maybe _too_ nice.  
If you asked me what we were studying in class that day, I'm afraid I have no clue. Sorry. It had something to do with exponents and denominators, which's the only thing I can recall. Heck, even Mr. Luke, whose blood pumps at anything numerical, wasn't even into it. Isn't that sad?  
It all started with some wise guys in our class who were joking about aliens. By the time Mr. Luke was done lecturing, however, the whole class was into it. Except me, really. I was too busy wondering where the heck Melissa was.  
"I'm telling you it's aliens!" I looked over to see half my class debating. Mr. Luke was back at his desk tuning us out.  
"You are so full of crap!" Some girl shouted. "Aliens don't exist, and if they did, why would they come here?"  
"Yeah, why would they come to sunny California?" One guy asked, half-serious but half-joking.  
"To take over our brains." Said one football player. His grin disturbed the heck out me. It sent alarm bells off.  
"Yeah right." Said another girl, one who gave the guys lip. "Anyway, you should just ask the aliens yourself."  
"How?" The football player asked, mock lacing his voice. The girl shrugged. "Go to the construction site. You know that weird 'firework incident' last night on the news? I bet you it's really aliens."

__

Construction site? I wondered. The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up.

"Aliens in the construction site? What a load of bullcrap." The sexist jock muttered. Some of the other guys agreed with him.

It happened without warning. A girl hit the floor, unconscious. She was short and black, with the worst fashion sense I've ever seen. I wasn't sure, but that was mud on her overalls or something I didn't want to know about.  
It was odd the feeling I got looking at her. There was something familiar, so very familiar about her.  
But we'd never met. I'd seen her in class, but the two of us had never talked. I kind of doubted we had all that much in common. Yet I felt like I'd known her forever, perhaps even better than I knew Melissa.

"Oh my god!" The class cried out in unison. Mr. Luke jumped up from his desk. "Is she hurt?" He asked.  
I was the first one to run over and check. Her pulse seemed normal, and there weren't any bruises or cuts on her.  
"She's fine." I told Mr. Luke. He nodded, trying to think through his panic. "Take her to the nurse, Rachel."  
I lifted her up. Dang, this girl was heavier than she looked. "You need help?" asked Tony, leering at me.  
"No, thank you, Mr. Man. I know I'm just a poor little girl, but I can handle this by myself." Satisfied I left the class and sprinted to the nurse's office.

I waited with the school nurse. A strange kind of panic flooded me as I thought about what happened to the girl.  
It was the same kind of panic you'd have over a close friend. The kind of panic I had over Melissa.  
"You know, I think Mrs. Branch will get better on her own." The nurse said to me in a kind voice. I looked up at her.  
"Her name's Branch?" I asked. "_Cassie_ Branch, yes." The nurse told me. "You should go back to class."  
I got up and away from the bed/cot/thing in the nurse's office. "Yeah, you're right. I was just worried, that's all."  
The nurse smiled. "That's nice to see. Sometimes I think teenagers are lacking in compassion these days."  
I fought a sharp stab of guilt as her words caused me to recall this morning. "Not all of us are selfish kids." I said.  
"You don't seem to be." The nurse commented, then she gave me a little nudge out the door. "Get to class."  
The girl's, Cassie's, eyes fluttered then. "She's waking up!" I cried. The nurse then ran to Cassie and I started on my way out. Well, for a little while at least. When I saw the nurse sneak back into the back of her office to get some medicine (I was watching through the window in the door), I stepped in to say a quick hi to Cassie Branch.  
She was sitting up in the bed and looking hard at me. "You're Rachel." She said, then smiled a nervous smile. "Hi."  
"Hi." I said back. Why did this feel so familiar?  
"We're in Algebra together, right?" Cassie asked me. I nodded, told her yes. "I thought so. It's kind of weird, I've never met you before." She said.  
I laughed. "Yeah, isn't that strange?" Cassie then grew solemn. She looked like she was trying hard to think of what to say.  
"Rachel? Have you ever been in a construction site?" She asked me, frowning. I stopped moving.  
"Maybe." I whispered as a memory long forgotten seemed to tug at my brain. Cassie bit her lip and nodded.  
"This is going to sound crazy, but I think that maybe we _knew_ each other." Cassie whispered.  
Then some of the pieces began to fall, like an old diary found in an attic. Something I had forgotten.  
Horse riding. Birthday parties. Long nights spent giggling and eating snacks while our parents wished beyond all hope we'd sleep. Secrets shared, tears cried, and years of friendship. Friendship I had forgotten.  
And the tug of a construction site and what may have been a UFO, something still hidden from me.

Tears streaming down both our cheeks, I hugged my best friend. The best friend I had forgotten.

* * *

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To the peanut gallery...(Hey! It was a joke! Stop throwing things at me!)

RasberryGirl- Woohoo! Another person enjoys my story! **does the happy dance** I know what you mean about ghostwriters, they're EVIL. Theoretical situations are fun, aren't they? I mean, who wants to read the same "Rachel's not really dead!" story a zillion times? (No offense meant to anybody, a lot of people have pulled this off REALLY WELL, but it's really easy, you know what I mean?) I'm going to try and give everybody the spotlight they deserve, too. And it will be J/C, sooner or later.

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Alikat - I like threatening my reviewers, it keeps a balance of power. =P Just kidding, threaten me all you want, and keep liking my story! Hmm, maybe you're curious about home lives because you sense I changed someone's. And I did, but I'm not telling whom yet! I wanna see the look of shock on your face!

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Puar Briefs - Chapman is a weird little bird, huh? I'm gonna try to keep him in-between smarmy and likable. I have two theories on him: One, having a daughter and wife got him to be a nicer person or Two: Whenever his memory of all the stuff with Elfangor was erased, he also got a personality upgrade. =P  
Yeah, poor Cassie. She'll be even more prone to the flashing-back than anyone else. Is that good or bad? We'll have to see. And I admit, there won't be any HUGE cliffies for a while yet until everyone is introduced. Take that as you will. But if you look through the story, there's lotsa foreshadowing!

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Elven ice angle - I'm glad you like the story and isn't Cassie cool? (Yeah, all you Cassie-haters, I do like her.) Wow, um, thanks about the grammar and stuff...if you want to improve yours, I'd suggest you take an advanced English class if school has them, or check out a few books on grammar and stuff. The best book I've ever found about writing, though, is On Writing by Stephen King. Look for it at amazon. (www.amazon.com)  
Your story is Lord of the Rings? Cool! Now that I finally HAVE some free time, I'm gonna have to look at it. I saw the summary and I think it looks cool. Except a review sometime before Sunday, I promise I'll give you one!

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Angelofcloud9 - Yes, I love your fic! It's so cool! Yeah, Chapman is quite freaky. I intended him to be. Though, just in case anyone asks, he's NOT trying to put the moves on Cassie. Writer's Block. I need to kill that sometime. Wanna help me? This chapter is jam-packed with R/T, so enjoy. They happen to be one of my favorite couples in the series! Yay, go R/T!

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Chaos - Oh yeah, soonish is when anything I write will come out. Of course, soonish can mean three months, but still...and don't worry, there's gonna be plenty more of this story!

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Oedipal Kat - Thank you so much for pointing out my error! I don't know WHY I typed Rach as 5'2. Well, I'm only 5', so 5'2 is kinda tall to me, but thanks so much! And I'm glad you enjoyed what I've written. Hope you like the rest.

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HoneyB - Cassie and Rachel don't remember each other. Simple as that. 


	4. Chapter Three: Jake

Author's Note: I just noticed something weird, and I felt like mentioning it. If you look at my fics, most of my stuff is romance (this isn't, though a lot of the story will have to do with lurve). But the funny thing is that I don't really have much of a love life -- is that not weird? That aside, it's Jake's first chapter! Go big guy! =P A note about Tom's college-bound-ness: Like I said, everyone's high school age, therefore making Tom a senior. Nyah. Poor Jakie. Sorry, by the way, that this took so long. I've just been in desperate need of a BREAK!  
Okay, enjoy the chapter! 

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

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"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon (1940 - 1980), "Beautiful Boy"

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Chapter Three  
-Jake-

**

My name is Jake.

I guess I'm an average guy. There's not much about me. I don't have any weird or fascinating things happen to me, my family is like every other family in suburbia. I don't have extra toes or a family member who's a celebrity.  
I'm fine with that. I mean, look at Spiderman or Superman. Don't you think they'd choose a regular life if they could?

Maybe that's what's been driving me and Tom apart. Tom, by the way, is my big brother. He's an annoying drug addict who comes home with ten girls every night. Nah, just kidding. Tom's a pretty nice guy. He doesn't do drugs, and while he does crush on a different girl about every ten seconds, he's not the type to sleep around.  
Yeah, okay, my big brother is my role model. I know that's corny and dorky and all, but it's true.  
Which is why I didn't want to tell him about what happened this afternoon.  
Tom, for as long as I can remember, has been a star at basketball. I won't be surprised if he becomes a pro someday. Me? I can play but I'm not that great. Not enough for the George Washington High Eagles, anyway.  
I dreaded telling Tom about it. I guess that everybody in my family thought I'd follow along in his footsteps.  
Even I thought I could get as good as Tom. It didn't happen.  
Which is why I was spending all my time in an arcade blowing up little green aliens instead of going home.  
Of course there were other reasons I was at the arcade. All of my friends had gotten together to hang out, and I thought it made a pretty good excuse. Not like I was with them, per se, at the moment, but it was an excuse.

"Jake!" I turned around to see Nicole, a pretty freshman girl, waving at me. "Hi!"  
"Hey Nicole." I muttered, putting more change into the machine. I swear I could almost _hear_ Nicole's frown.  
"Why don't you come eat with the rest of the gang?" She asked in a coaxing tone. "We won't bite."  
I sighed knowing that Nicole wasn't going to quit until I went with her. "I'm not that hungry." I told her.  
Nicole shrugged. She wasn't derailed at all by my brush-off. "Then just order a coke, Jake. Please?"  
I hate it when people use the word please with me. Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I can't deny someone who's pleading with me, no matter how much I might want to. "Oh, all right." I sighed and walked away from the games.  
Just so you know, I'm one of those guys who belongs to a big group of friends. I have a couple of close buddies, but most of the people I hang out with, I don't know all that well. Nicole was one of those people.  
I'd met her through Tom and I've got to admit I sort of wish I hadn't. She's a happy, cheery person and I've seen her temper flare up now and then. The only thing is that she's _very_ persistent, which gets _very_ annoying.  
On top of that, you have to add in the fact that I think Nicole might have a crush on me.  
Yeah, it isn't all that pleasant. At the moment Nicole was dragging me by my arm into the food court. She could not hear my protests. I told her I wasn't hungry, I told her I had no money (not enough to buy food anyway, after about two hours at the arcade), I told Nicole I wanted to go home, and I got nothing for my begging.  
Maybe Nicole was deaf and everyone forgot to tell me. It would make sense.  
Before I knew it I found myself smack dab in the middle of the food court surrounded by my friends.  
I wanted to jump up and run away. Go back to the arcade, back to a place where I didn't have to think about telling my brother I hadn't made the team. Was that so much to ask for? Could I not have just that one thing?  
I guess not. I felt one of my better-known friends, Jim, put his arm around me in a teasing way. I wanted to shove it off.  
_Why am I feeling so irritated?_ I wondered. "I'm shocked! You decided to join us!" Jim shouted.  
I shrugged, trying to shake off my tense feeling. "Yeah, I got hungry." I lied.  
"Hey! I thought you told me you weren't hungry!" Nicole said, glaring at me with her hands on her hips.  
Everyone started laughing. It loosened me up a little, enough to make my agitation just a little tug from inside.  
Then I felt the growling in my stomach. I'd run off to the mall right after school and I hadn't eaten since, spending my time blasting away little green men. Now my stomach was sounding like a bulldog with rabies.  
I got up off my sticky plastic chair. "Guys, I'm gonna go get something to eat." I told everyone. "Be right back."  
One of the guys, a moody junior named Alan, snickered. "The Great Prince Jake doesn't want to stay with us."  
I almost froze.  
I don't know why, either. Nobody in my life has ever called me Prince Jake, so it's not like Alan's comment brought back some childhood memories or anything, but there was something familiar about the nickname. It sent chills down my spine.  
"Alan! That was rude!" Nicole said, glaring at him. Alan didn't even pay attention to her, going back to his conversation with some weird blue haired chick. I decided to leave them be before Alan said something else.  
So I made my way through the way-too-bright food court in search of a burger and coke. I was sure I'd find that somehow. I passed a health food store, a salad bar, a Chinese place, an Arby's, and a place where I was pretty dang certain the food wasn't edible; for neither man, beast, or extraterrestrial. I skipped that one, of course.  
In the far corners of the food court, near the front doors to the mall, I found a little burger joint.  
I went up to the place. The guy at the counter was half-asleep, I'm guessing he hadn't had more than three customers that day. I reached over and tapped him awake. The guy almost jumped fifty feet in the air.  
"Whoa! Welcome to Star Burgers, what do you want?" He asked me way too fast and too loud.  
"A Classic Burger and a Pepsi, please." I asked. The kid went to the back of the burger joint and in about a minute retrieved my meal for me. "That'll be three-fifty." He said, handing me a soggy bag.  
I gave the guy my money and walked off. "Have a nice day." He muttered behind me.  
I headed back to the table when I saw him. I came close to dropping my soggy bag of food.

It was Tom.  
Tom, my brother. Tom, my role model. Tom, the one who I didn't want to see.

"Hey Midget." He said, with the most morose look in his eyes that I've ever seen. "We need to talk."

He headed off to the stores, away from the food court. I didn't know what else I could do but follow him, so I did.  
Tom didn't speak to me the whole time we walked through the mall. It made the edginess I'd felt earlier come back tenfold. Jesus, if he talked, things would be so much better. My brother didn't speak. Looking at him was strange; it was almost as if I could see another person in his eyes. Someone that was a far cry from the Tom I knew.  
I couldn't take it anymore. "Tom, what's going on?" I asked.  
Tom said nothing. He just stopped walking, causing me to almost run into my big brother.  
I looked up. We were in front of a Gadzooks. That explained nothing whatsoever, so I looked to my brother again.  
"There's some benches by the record store." Tom told me, motioning to the place next to us. "You might want to sit."  
It was right then that the uneasiness in my stomach reached a storming pitch. I did as Tom said and sat.  
He walked over to the benches and with a deep sigh, sat down next to me. It looked like my brother was struggling to find the right words to say. Why? What could be so big, so bad, that he'd have to sit me down and think like this?  
What, I wondered, had caused that sad look in Tom's eyes when he saw me?  
My brother had been acting weird for the past year or two. I'm not that sure my parents noticed it, but I had.  
It started off as little things. He'd been skipping practice to go to meetings of this new club he'd found, The Sharing.  
It got worse. Tom's grades had been getting better, but he was almost never at home any more. The Sharing had taken up my brother's whole life. If it weren't for the fact that The Sharing went around doing good things for people, I would have said they were some kind of weird cult. That didn't look like the case, though, but it bothered me.  
The moment when none of us, not even my parents, could deny something was off with my brother, came a week ago.  
Tom had quit the basketball team. That team had been my brother's livelihood ever since junior high.  
I remember the years Tom spent giving his blood and sweat, sometimes for real, so that he'd be good enough to join the GWHS Eagles. Years of tears, sweat, and hard work flushed down the toilet for what looked like no reason.  
Tom hadn't been having any problems with his coach, and I'd never heard him complain about the other guys.  
He said that he had better things to do with his life than "play stupid games". He'd been going to the Sharing more.  
Maybe, I thought, my brother might tell me what the heck was wrong with him. I doubted it, though.  
Ever since he'd gotten into The Sharing the two of us weren't close anymore. The funny thing was that he used to be my best friend. I guess that's part of why I tried to be so much like him. Heck, even part of why I tried to join the Eagles. I thought that maybe if _I_ made the team my brother would snap back to his senses.  
Back to basketball. Back to the Tom I used to know. The Tom that, looking at him now, I couldn't see.

**__**

Flash!

Marco looked at me. "Jake. He's one of them."  
I looked at my best friend, trying to believe I hadn't heard him. "What?" I asked.  
"Tom." He said. "Tom is one of them. Your brother is a Controller."  
The first time my fist caught him on the side of the head. The second time, he jumped.

What?

I must have spaced out, because now Tom was looking at me like I was dying. "Jake, are you okay?"  
I blinked a few times to get my bearings straight. "Yeah, I'm okay." I told my brother. I don't think he believed me.  
One of _them_. What was that all about?  
Tom gave me another worried look, and then he stared at his feet as he started to talk. "Midget, you won't like this."  
I frowned and looked at my brother. His tone alone was worrying me. "I won't like what?" I asked him.  
He put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a sad smile. "Mom and Dad are breaking up, Jake."

~~~~~

I don't remember how I managed to get home. Tom drove me back but I don't remember any of our conversation.  
The soggy bag lay in the back seat of my brother's 1985 Oldsmobile. I hadn't touched it.  
Learning that my parents wanted a divorce kind of zapped away my appetite. I couldn't work it out, they'd always seemed like a happy couple to me. True, Mom wasn't happy with Dad's long hours and there were sometimes weeks where they wouldn't talk, but that was normal, right? A divorce. I remembered a few years back when my cousin Rachel's parents got a divorce. Rachel and her sisters lived with their mom now, and my uncle Dan now lived on a different side of the country. Rach didn't talk about it much, but I knew that it still bothered her.  
Now _my_ parents were going to split up and I couldn't do a thing about it. Nobody could except Mom and Dad.  
"You know," Tom said as we got into our neighborhood. "The Sharing offers family counseling now."  
"You serious?" I asked. Maybe Tom had found an answer. God, I loved my brother!  
"Yeah." Tom said and I could see a grin spreading on his face. "It's free and everything. We could all go."  
Even though The Sharing gave me the creeps, I couldn't say no to a good idea. "You think we should go?"  
Tom's smile grew a mile. "Yeah, Midget. I think it's a great idea." He said.  
The flashback or whatever it was that I'd had earlier came back to me.  
"Tom is one of _them_." Who was that guy? And what did "one of them" mean, and why did it freak me out?  
I fought the wave of cold wet dread from inside as my brother pulled into our driveway.  
It could have just been a daydream, not like it meant anything. There wasn't any reason to fear my brother.  
I mean, come on, this was Tom! Besides, we had more important things to do.  
Like saving my parent's marriage.  
Mom saw Tom and I driving in. She gave us a lecture on being late. We'd scared her half to death, she said.  
Mom was afraid something horrible had happened to us, like maybe we'd decided to take the long way home through the construction site. Tom told Mom that no, that hadn't happened. The two of us weren't idiots, after all.  
Mom was satisfied and we followed her into the house. For the first time, I noticed she hadn't said a word to Dad.  
The two of them never did talk much anymore. I can not believe I never noticed before, but now it seemed so obvious it hurt. How had this happened to my parents without my ever having any clue?  
I almost ran upstairs. This was too much. I hadn't made the team, my parents were a sham, and I had a cold fear I couldn't explain. What the heck ever happened to a normal life? Why the heck couldn't I have that?

"Jake!" Tom shouted, running behind me as I slammed my door.  
I didn't feel like talking. I was too riled up to talk. I locked my door behind me and turned on my Playstation.  
Maybe blowing up more little green men would help. "Come on Jake, open up!" I heard Tom yelling.  
My door stayed closed. Tom started pounding on the door. I pressed the start button.  
"Jake, stop acting like an idiot and open the damn door!" Tom screamed. I almost dropped my controller.  
Let me put it this way: my brother does not swear.  
I turned off the Playstation and went up to my door and opened it as slow as possible.  
Tom looked relieved beyond all belief. "You were worrying me." He said, taking a deep breath to calm himself.  
I smiled. "You too."  
My brother paused, looking unsure as he looked around. "Um, can I come in?"  
"Huh?" I said, confused. Then understanding flowed through my brain. "Oh yeah, sure!" I opened the door for him.  
"Thanks." said Tom as he walked in. "Now, I'm thinking we should talk."  
"Yeah, you're right." I said as I sat on my bed. Tom sat down next to me. We said nothing for a minute or two.  
"Tom, I don't want this." I told my big brother. "I don't want our parents to split up like this."  
"Neither do I." Tom whispered. I said nothing and I looked around my room. There were old sports trophies, dirty laundry, and a beat-up basketball, one of those little hoops you stuck on your door and threw Nerf balls through.  
My dog, Homer, lay asleep next to my pile of dirty clothes. It all looked so normal, just like this morning.  
It didn't reflect that my life had changed.  
"Tom, can I ask you something?" I said. My brother stretched his legs. "Shoot." He said.  
"Why'd you quit the team?" I asked. For half a second, I saw Tom freeze. Panic. Then it went away.  
"I wanted something more." He said, smiling at me. "I mean, sure I was good, but sports are risky." He said.  
I must have been showing my confusion, because he went on to explain. "Even if I made it into the pros, there's no guarantee it'll last. I mean, think about it. One broken leg and my whole career would be shot." Tom said.  
I nodded. He was making a lot of sense. "Yeah, you're right." I said. "So, question two -- why The Sharing?"  
This time there was no weird panic in my brother's eyes. "I wanted something more." He said.  
"I wanted to do something more with my life than just play sports. I wanted to help my fellow man." Tom smiled.  
A little part of me fought some disquiet. Since when did he smile so much? "Your fellow man?" I joked.  
"But what happened to the riches and the ladies?" My brother scowled and threw a pillow in my face.  
"_You_ can get the riches and the girls, Midget." He told me. I laughed and shook my head.  
"I guess I'd have to." I said. "After all, you're going to be a poor college student soon, right?" I asked.  
Tom shrugged. "Looks like it." Then he got what I call his "thinking look". He uses it whenever he's thinking, which is about ten times a year, just for the record. "Hey, do you want to go The Sharing tomorrow?" He asked.  
"Tom, you know The Sharing isn't my thing." I told him. Tom's been wanting me to go for ages.  
My brother shook his head. "No, not for you. So we can arrange a session for Mom and Dad." He said.  
"Besides," Tom added, giving me a teasing smirk. "You never know, you just might like it."  
I doubted that. I doubted that more than I doubted I could throw a car. But, it was for a good cause.  
"Fine." I sighed. "Why not?" I swear Tom almost started doing a victory dance in the middle of my room.  
I made him do his victory dance out the door. Then I sat and began working on the mountain of homework I had.

~~~~~

School, like usual, was a total bore. In fact it was so boring that only the thought of going to The Sharing with Tom was keeping me awake. Now if that doesn't say something, I have no clue what does.  
At least it was that way until History.

The whole class had thundered in and maybe half of us started our work for the day when Mrs. Reid made her announcement. I think I was one of the few listening, since Mrs. Reid tends to babble on about nothing.  
"Class, we have a new student." About half of the class looked up. I wasn't one of that half.  
"He's transferred from Mr. Brian's History Class," Mrs. Reid's voice grew into steel. "Ron, stop laughing. Be nice."  
Mrs. Reid coughed to deflect the attention off Ron. "This is our student, Marco Jones."  
Then my head snapped up. I'd heard a little bit about this guy. He was known for being a class clown.  
My guess was that he'd sent something to raise Mr. Brian's heart pressure further, so now he was in our class.  
At the moment that didn't matter, though. I'd never heard his last name, and I'd never seen his face. When I did, though, I had to grab onto my desk to keep from falling out of it. There was no way to explain it, but I knew him.  
He was the same Marco in my flashback. The same one that had warned me about Tom.  
We'd never even met, though, and the Marco in my flashback was supposed to be my best friend.  
I stared at him and he stared back with what had to be the same shocked expression on my face.  
"There's a seat behind Tressa, that girl with the green hair." Mrs. Reid told Marco. He walked, still staring at me, to his seat. Then Mrs. Reid went to her desk and told us all to read pages fifty through sixty-seven in our books.  
After ten minutes of putting up a show of reading, I tore a piece of paper out of History spiral. I pressed the click on my pen and scribbled a quick, fast note.

Do I know you? Y/N  
Jake Berenson

Then I folded it up and tapped on the shoulder of the girl in front of me. She looked up at me, annoyed.  
"Sorry," I whispered. "But could you hand this to the new kid?"  
The girl rolled her eyes and took up my note. For a second I was afraid she was going to hand it to Mrs. Reid, but then I saw her give it to the girl in front of her, who then gave it to Tressa the Green, who handed it to Marco.  
I saw his eyes scan the note, then he looked around the class for me, I guess. Then our eyes met for the second time.  
Slow and uncertain, he nodded. Yes.  
Either we were both nuts or had amnesia, but I didn't care. It was like something, a big something, that was missing had come back together. A piece had been placed back in the puzzle that I hadn't even known was gone.  
Yes. Somehow, some way, I knew Marco Jones.

Class went on like normal until the bell rang and let us loose for lunch.

I met up with Marco after class, and the two of us headed off to find a table.

~~~~~

"You're kidding me."  
I sighed. We'd had this little discussion about five times. "I am _not_ kidding you."  
"Then you're insane. There is no way Superman could beat Spiderman in a fight." Marco told me.  
"Sure he could!" I protested. "Superman's an alien, with insane strength. All Spidey has are webs." "Spidey could swing away from about anything Superman can throw at him." Marco said. I rolled my eyes.  
"Besides, Spidey could always ruin Clark Kent's career. He is a photographer." Marco added.  
"What's that go to do with anything?" I asked. Marco shrugged. "No one said he could beat him with his powers."  
"I thought that was the point you were trying to make." I said. Marco said nothing to me after that.  
I went back to trying to pick out the edible parts of my slop du jour when something caught my eye.  
Two somethings, to tell the truth. The first something was my cousin Rachel. She's not a cafeteria-goer.  
The second something was the girl next to her. She was kind of short, wearing a pair of messy overalls.  
"Who _is_ that girl?" I asked. Marco looked up at me, confused. "What girl?" He asked.  
I pointed at her. Marco blinked. "You mean the blonde? That's Rachel." He told me.  
"No! Rachel's my cousin, I know who she is. I mean the girl next to her." I told him. "Oh." Marco said.  
"That's Cassie Branch...wait a minute, your cousin is Rachel Berenson?" He asked. I nodded.  
"You have got to be pulling my leg." Marco said as he gaped at me. I shook my head. "Nope, no joke."  
"Jeez! If she were my cousin, I'd..." Then he must saw my murderous glare. "Never mind what I'd do."  
"That's just sick." I whispered and he shrugged back. "Yeah, but she's _not_ my cousin."  
I shook my head to stop from thinking about it, and to my surprise I found myself looking at the girl, Cassie, again.  
She looked around and would've spotted me staring if I hadn't dove my head into my school-made slop.  
"Nice save." Marco muttered. I glared at him and we went back to our debate.

"Anyway, like I said, Spidey could produce blackmail."  
"You're a psycho!"

~~~~~

It was four-thirty when Tom picked me up after school. Since he's a senior, and doesn't have to do the whole nine-period thing like the rest of us, he'd been out of school an hour already. It sucks. I wish I was a senior.  
"I told Mom you were going with me to The Sharing, so hop in." Tom said. I threw my backpack in the back and did just as he told me. Tom seemed thrilled with this turn of events. "You're gonna love it here." He said.  
"You'll be able to meet some of the older, special members." He was telling me. "Like Wade, and Sally, John and Miranda, Paul and Steve, Ruby and Gloria." Then his brows creased as he searched for more names.  
"Oh! And Mr. Victor Trent is coming tonight, too." He added. I blinked. "Are these all adults?" I asked.  
Tom nodded, his hair flying in the wind. My brother prefers the windows down. "Yeah, all of them." He said.  
"That's part of what's so cool about The Sharing." He told me. "They don't care if you're young, old, black, white, Christian, Muslim, gay or straight. They're awesome." I smiled, indulging Tom a bit. It did sound cool.  
"Wade, John, and Miranda are all guidance counselors. Wade works with kids, John does stuff with adults, and Miranda handles the group and family counseling. We'll be talking with her." Tom told me.  
I nodded again, taking all this in. "What about Paul, Steve, Ruby and Gloria?" Tom bit his lip, thinking again.  
"They work in the Tolerance Sector. Ruby and Gloria are lesbians, and Paul and Steve's brother is a Muslim."  
"So they're kind of doing this for themselves." I commented. Tom frowned at my remark. "A little, maybe." He said.  
"But for the most part everyone in The Sharing is doing this for the whole." Again that weird smile showed up.  
I fought against the knot in my stomach, as my flashback came back to me again. I hadn't told Marco about it.  
The two of us hadn't talked about our flashbacks. The only thing I knew was that he'd had one, too, and I was in it.  
Perhaps I should have mentioned it. Maybe then Marco could have explained what he'd meant back whenever.  
"Tom, you're turning into Gandhi." I joked as I felt the knot in my stomach tighten even more.  
My brother laughed a good, hearty laugh. It sounded like him, looked like him, unlike that smile.  
The knot in my stomach loosened a little. "I bet Gandhi would've liked The Sharing." Tom mused.  
"Maybe, maybe not." I said. Tom seemed content with that. "I'm glad you came." He told me.  
"I only came because of Mom and Dad." I said, not trying to be rude. Then I saw the hurt flash in my brother's eyes.  
It faded away in a second. "We'll see once you've been there a while." Tom said, half-joking, half-serious.  
My stomach was hurting. Why hadn't I asked Marco about his flashbacks? How stupid was I?  
A minute later, we reached what looked like kind of like a Boys and Girls Club, except that across the building were the words "The Sharing" painted in black, and underneath that "Building a Better Life".  
The knot in my stomach was almost overwhelming. Tom smiled. "Here we are."  
We opened up the doors of the car and went inside. The vast number and variety of people there stunned me.  
I saw people of all races, male, female, some I wasn't certain of, and religions all hanging out together.  
It was, I have to say, mind-blowing.

"Jake!" I looked up in surprise and saw Nicole hurtling at me at the speed of light.  
Tom caught me before the two of went smashing into the ground, though I have to wonder if that was Nicole's intention. "I'm so glad to see you!" Nicole enthused, hugging me. I heard Tom laughing. "Maybe you should get off him."  
"Oh!" Nicole pulled herself off of me and I got back on my feet. "I didn't know you'd be here." I said to Nicole.  
"Yeah, Nic here is a full member." Tom said. I swear the pride in his voice was louder than the music.  
Nicole smiled up at my brother. "Tom introduced me to The Sharing." She explained.  
I almost felt sick. Tom was a nice guy but not the kind to hang out with a girl like Nicole.  
Tom put his hand on my shoulder and was leading me in another direction. "We've gotta go see Miranda."  
We headed down a dark hallway, to what I guessed must be this Miranda's lady office.  
"Tom, this place is cool. Thanks for taking me." I said. Tom smiled. "Be careful before you become a full member."  
I laughed but in the next second it felt like someone had shoved a chunk of cold ice down my throat.  
My brother had gone into a violent convulsion. His whole body was shaking. "Tom!" I ran to him.  
He fell to the floor, still shaking. I dropped down beside him and tired to take his pulse. His heart was beating like a jackhammer. It felt like it was going to explode out of his chest! Then to my shock, my brother grabbed my wrist and pulled my head up to his ear.

"Jake." He whispered. "Run. Run away as fast you can."

Then he let go of me, his hand almost limp. "Tom?" I asked all too aware of the fear in my voice.  
"Is he all right?" I looked up to see a man in his mid-40s. He was bald and wore all black.  
"I think so." I said, my voice just above a whisper. The man looked relieved and my brother stopped shaking.  
Then, with the utmost care, the older man helped my brother up to his feet. Tom was no longer shaking.  
"This boy needs to be taken to a hospital." The man said, and about fifty people swarmed up and took my brother.  
I almost collapsed to the ground myself. Tom had told me to run away, and I felt like doing just that.  
But now my brother was going to the hospital. I couldn't leave. I could not.  
"What's your name, young man?" The old man asked me. I stared at him for a moment, not quite aware.  
"Jake." I told him. "Jake Berenson." The old man nodded. "Tom's brother, am I correct?" I nodded.  
"I should have known." He said with a slight laugh. "You two look so much alike."  
"Do we?" I asked, sounding like a total idiot. The man laughed again. "You'd be surprised at the resemblance."  
This man was starting to creep me out. "Who are you?" I asked him.  
The grin on his face was twisted and distorted. It was like he'd never done it before. "Victor Trent." He told me.  
Three things happened to me all at once.

I was struck with the feeling I had just met some kind of an enemy.  
An odd image had come into my head. The image of some kind of foul, evil mix of deer, human, and scorpion.  
Then I thought, as I looked at Victor Trent, of a name. A name that frightened, enraged, and sickened me.

Visser Three.

* * *

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Yo! Reader People! (reviewer response)

Doctor Strangelove - Glad you liked the Ellimist's perspective. Yeah, Rachel and Cassie were best friends at first. I'll give you a hint, though. It's more like "what _didn't_ the Ellimist change?"  
It's the amazing Rachelia! Actually, I was kind of thinking of her like Buffy pre-Scoobies...oh wait, there isn't much difference, is there? Enjoy the flashbacks, sir, there'll be many a more. Now you what Jake's troubles are. Rejoice.  
Who knows who'll I'll be pairing Marco and Ax with. Keep an eye on them, you might be surprised.

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Ginny_Star - Wow, glad you like it! Keep reading, please? =P

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lauren - Yay! Hi! See, I updated! Yay!

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RasberryGirl - Yep, you're great about hiding your agendas. =) Heehee. Wow, I'm kind of surprised people liked the Cassie/Rachel scene so much, but I'm glad you did! You're 17? That makes you, um, two years older than me. (Not for long. I'm 16 in a month! Pedestrians beware!) Well, I figure people still write about these characters because they're fun. And, um, thanks for the compliment.

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Freak Apple - You liked Rocky the Teddy? Cool! Thanks, I'm glad you like the story, I hope it stays good...**looks down at the carpet** CLEANUP ON AISLE FOUR!

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Puar Briefs - Yep. Cassie and Rachel are back together again. Run away now. Glad you liked the Tobias scene and don't worry, his chapter will be up soonish. (He's right after Marco, who's next.) Feather or no feather, I like him, too. You really think Cassie's name was that great? Wow. I hope you like Marco and Tobias's last names, too. (I happen to doubt that Fangor is Tobias's last name, myself.) As for the name "Sarah", I hadn't really thought about it. That's how my sister spells her name -- I hadn't even thought to check the spelling.  
But since, according to Scholastic's monkeys, it can be either way, "Sarah" she shall stay. I'm willing to say it's a safe bet monkeys type worse than gorillas drive, but I don't want Marco to prove that for us. Though, on the plus side, 'least it isn't an Andalite driving. Or a Hork-Bajir. Those could not end well.

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Sailor Hylia - I won't abandon this fic, trust me! Oh, hey, BTW...are you a Zelda fan?

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Alikat - Nope, no tell. I want to surprise you! Don't worry though, you'll figure it out soon enough.

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JCtigerwolf4e - Glad you like and no worries, I'll keep it up! Oh yeah, did you like the J/C in this chap?

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DJ Eagel - Wow. I made someone swear. Go me! Seriously, glad you enjoy the fic. Oooh, David...I think you may have given me an idea, and I know just where he'd belong, too. Just trust when I say he won't show up for a DAMN LONG TIME. Other than that, thanks for the idea!


	5. Chapter Four: Marco

Author's Note: Spring Break rules. Why, you ask? Because I get to update my fics! Woohoo! Okay, um, here's the fourth chapter of this fic. Marco fans, rejoice. Tobias fans, don't kill me, he's up next. There is some d**ns and a**es in here, just so you guys know. I know most people aren't big about this, but I felt I should mention it anyway.  
Oh, I hope you guys like this chapter!

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"Humor is just another defense against the universe." - Mel Brooks

* * *

**

Chapter Four  
-Marco-

**

My name is Marco.

I hate mornings.

That day started out like any other one, you know. Get up out of bed seconds before my dad is about to pound the door in, break the world record for the fastest dressing time and run like heck to catch the bus.  
Yeah, that's my regular morning for you and this morning was no different. Except that I managed to catch the bus.  
"Good Morning." Mumbled Rosie. Rosie is the one responsible for operating the giant vehicle of doom that leads me into purgatory. Rosie's a nice enough person, I suppose, but being a he-she puts a damper on her social skills. On the whole, though, I prefer Rosie to the majority of people on my bus.  
As I tried to find a seat while Rosie started up the old hunk-of-junk again, I passed by some jocks making out with their preppie girlfriends. Not a spot to sit on around them and the idea wasn't that appealing in the first place.  
I walked by some geeks typing up, well, whatever the crap they were typing up on their computers. No place to sit.  
The punks all glared at me in perfect unison. I ran down the aisle before any of them could grab me.  
That was when my luck seemed to change. I had found a seat. It was in the back, old and ripped up, but a seat's a seat. You can't be picky about these kinds of things.  
So I sat down in the old seat, which looked more like a mass of cotton than anything resembling a seat.  
On the bright side, I didn't have to watch jocks and preps making out or try to understand whatever the geeks were rambling on about. Then I put on my headphones and prepared for a long and uncomfortable ride.  
It was a second later that I saw her. I kind of knew her, in that "I know your name and face" sort of way.  
Of course, how could I not know who she was? _Everybody_ knew her, and not always for the best.  
Newest Inductee into the George Washington High Prep Squad, Gymnastics Queen, and all-around Girl You Don't Want To Mess With was looking at me. Rachel Berenson. Odd as it was, she didn't look ready to gut me; which was the expression on her face the two other times I'd seen it in my life. Those were not experiences worth remembering much, one involving a slight explosion in the chem lab and the other was a complete accident.  
I had no idea it was the girl's locker room at the time.

"Do you need a place to sit?" Rachel asked me. She seemed to have an honest care, which made me sweat.  
"Huh?" I asked, pulling my headphones off my head and turning down my Offspring CD.  
"I _said_, do you need a place to sit?" Rachel asked again. Okay, now I'd ticked her off. Not good at all.  
"Nah, this is fine for me." I said, putting my headphones back on and hoping that Rachel wasn't going to kill me.  
She reached over and grabbed the wire on my headphones. Then she jerked them off my head.  
I looked at my dangling headphones, to Rachel's ticked face and back again. "Stop being an ass." She said.  
"I beg your pardon?" I asked, gaping at her. "You steal my headphones and I'm an ass?"  
"Yes." Rachel said, not getting a clue about the irony of the situation. "No one wants that thing for a seat." She said.  
Then she tossed my headphones back to me. "Let me move my stuff and you can sit next to me on the next stop."  
I value my life. Who was I to say no?  
A moment all too soon, Rosie commanded the Vehicle of Doom to stop moving so she could pick up another kid.  
Rachel sat in the seat ahead of me, glaring with the power of a very pissed off cat. I couldn't believe I was doing this.  
I picked up my backpack and walkman and sat down next to GWHS's personal Xena: Warrior Princess.  
"Glad to see you've come into the light." Rachel said, and if I'm not wrong, I think she was smiling at me.  
"What light?" I asked. "The light of 'come here before I rip off your vitals'?" I asked.  
"Bingo." Was Rachel's reply. God, why do I agree to do these kind of things?  
After a moment or two of awkward silence, I noticed Rachel looking at me; contemplating something.  
"What is it, Queen Berenson?" I asked, hoping to whatever powers that be it'd stop her staring.  
Rachel frowned, then looked me in the eyes. "You need a haircut." She said.  
"Say what?" I snapped. You see, I happen to be kind of proud of my hair. "Did you want me here just to tell me that?"  
Rachel shook her head. "No, I was trying to be nice." She hissed. Then she pointed at my head.  
"The haircut itself isn't that bad, but it just doesn't suit you." Rachel told me. "You should consider cutting it."  
"I like my hair the way it is." I said as I put my headphones back on my head.  
Rachel rolled her eyes up to the ceiling and shrugged. "Your loss." She said.

We didn't talk to each other for the rest of the ride, but I had a feeling that I had, for better or for worse, made a friend out of Rachel Berenson. I think the powers that be must have it out for me.

~~~~~

I happen to find school kind of ironic, myself. But Marco, you're thinking, you find everything ironic. And I do, no doubt there. The thing is that I have a good solid reasons to think school is ironic, and it is this:  
We come to school to learn facts. We end up learning about everything else.  
No, I'm serious. Think about it for a moment. Your parents send you to school to learn history, math, science, how to glue two things together, whatever. If you're lucky you might learn a few of these things.  
In the end, though, school teaches you all of that other stuff. Stuff like how to lie to authority figures, figuring out which foods in the cafeteria are edible (the fact that none of them are notwithstanding), and how to get an early case of herpes or AIDS, whichever your preference. _That's_ the bulk of what you learn in school.  
If you're a normal person, that is. It seems that I'm not the typical definition of normal.

"You can't keep on pulling these kinds of stunts in class, Mr. Jones." I looked at Mr. Chapman.  
"I told you, I didn't have any idea that was the girls room." I said, watching Chapman shake his head in disbelief.  
"I'm willing to believe you there, but the incident in the lab?" Chapman asked, looking almost wild at the thought of making me confess to setting the off stinkbomb that had gone off in Mr. Brian's history class.  
"I had nothing to do with that." I said, crossing my arms. Chapman smiled, and leaned over the desk. I fought an overwhelming sense of panic right then and there. If he tried a thing, I was going to morph gorilla and...  
What was I thinking?  
Chapman had kept on talking, oblivious to my reaction. "I sympathize, I do. Kids can be cruel, and what with the peer pressure these days, I understand that you'd have a need for attention, Mr. Jones. However, our school doesn't condone these kinds of activities. I'm afraid that until you either confess or give us the names of the kids who did do it, we're going to have to make you switch classes." Chapman said, sounding tired from his lecture.  
My brain had snapped back on. "You're going to do what?" I asked.  
"I'm sorry about it, but Mr. Brian has requested we remove you from his class." Mr. Chapman told me.  
I think a fly or two may have flown into my mouth because I couldn't have heard Chapman right. Sure, Mr. Brian had pretty good proof that I was the one who set off the stinkbomb, but he struck me as pretty easygoing about those kind of things. Chapman had to be bluffing; there was no way Mr. Brian was that pissed.  
"Do you realize it's rude to gape at people?" Mr. Chapman asked me. I snapped my mouth shut again.  
Mr. Chapman coughed and went on with his diatribe. "You'll be reporting to Mrs. Reid's history class this afternoon. I recommend you try not to pull any clever stunts in there, Mr. Jones. Have a nice day." He said.  
Chapman then got up out of his seat and I did the same, more than ready to get out of his office. It was nothing personal but something about Mr. Chapman creeped me out. The way I figure it, Chapman's got to be an alien. After all, only an alien would have made me switch history classes. Chapman must've gotten to Mr. Brian.  
I had my hand on the doorknob when Chapman spoke. "You know, I could arrange a meeting with a counselor."  
I turned around and stared at him. "It's normal for kids to act out after losing a parent, after all." Chapman said.  
I slammed the door on my way out.  
Sure, he was a vice-principal. Okay, maybe it was possible the guy had my best interests at heart, but how in the world did that give him the right to say that? What kind of a thing was that to say?  
In my frustration I hit the wall with my fist. It hurt, but it was less than the pain Chapman's words had brought up.  
It was five years ago, when I was ten years old. My mother had drowned. She was dead. The body was never recovered. There were times, of course, that it still made me choke up but I'd gotten over it.  
At least, I thought I had. My eyes were stinging but at least I wasn't crying. I was not going to cry. Come on, it was what that asshole Chapman wanted and I was not going to be the person to give him what he wanted.  
Chapman was wrong, anyway. I like to joke around and every now and then play pranks on people. I prefer to keep laughing. It's just the way I view life. I think it's better to keep a smile on your face instead of letting the grief swallow you whole. I'd seen what happens when you let the grief take hold of you. My Dad was a perfect example.  
My eyes kept burning. I slammed my fist against the wall again, harder this time. It didn't stop the stinging at all.

**__**

Flash!

Don't tell the others, Jake. You're the only one who recognized her. I said.  
Okay, Marco. Jake said.  
I had to make sure he wasn't kidding. I didn't want him to tell a soul. You can't even tell Cassie, okay?  
It's okay, man. Jake assured me. You are my oldest and best friend. You know that. No one will ever know from me.  
I knew Jake was telling the truth. I was counting on him to keep his word. No one could know this, if I could help it.

Great. I thought. _Now I'm losing it._  
I pulled myself along, away from Chapman's office, out of the hall. Trying to find a way to laugh off what happened.

~~~~~

I went through the rest of the day like normal. Cracking jokes and surprising the teachers with my passing grades.  
My history class had been switched from eighth period to fourth, right before lunch. As a Sophomore, I got what's called "Loser's Lunch", meaning that since I was younger and carless I got to languish in the cafeteria with all the other young and carless instead of going out to eat food that wouldn't kill me. Thank god I'd be sixteen soon.  
It was one of those days where time passes the complete opposite of how you want it to. You see, I wanted the first three periods to go by slow so that I could enjoy the time I had before my big class switch. It's not that I minded the fact that I'd have a whole new class, I happen to like introducing myself and all that jazz, though the teachers hate it. I didn't mind having to adjust to a new room full of jocks, punks, band nerds and all-out weirdoes. That did not bother me in the slightest. What bugged me was the fact I _knew_ I'd have more homework.  
Mr. Brian was, shall we say, a bit lax in making certain we learned our history.  
Despite my wishes the first three periods sped past my eyes. Before I knew it I found myself opening the door to Mrs. Reid's class. I was a few minutes late because, as I told Mrs. Reid, I couldn't find the class. That was not true.  
Mrs. Reid didn't seem to care, though.  
She took me to the front of the class with her. "Class, we have a new student." She said. Half of them looked up.  
"He's transferred from Mr. Brian's history class." Mrs. Reid said, glaring at some laughing redheaded kid.  
"Ron, stop laughing." Mrs. Reid said with a steel voice and coughed to bring the class's attention back to me.  
"This is our newest student, Marco Jones." Mrs. Reid said. It was then my life started spinning out of control.  
His head snapped up and we stared, in equal amounts of shock, at one another. At first I told myself that I was just imaging things, but my mind and my heart weren't going to let me get away with that. I could not deny the simple truth that I knew the boy who staring back at me. Even though he'd been a tiger in my flashback, I knew it was him. The same kid I had, a lifetime ago, known my whole life. My best friend. I was staring at Jake.  
"There's a seat behind Tressa, that girl with the green hair." Mrs. Reid told me, pointing at some freaky girl.  
I went to my seat with my eyes still on Jake. Mrs. Reid, having done her duty of making certain the class knew that another had joined them, informed us all that we needed to read pages fifty through sixty-seven in our book.  
Mr. Brian only had us at page twenty-nine, by the way. After ten minutes of reading until I got to page thirty-six, Tressa the Green had dropped a note onto my desk. "It's not from me." She hissed, glaring at me with evil eyes.  
I picked up the note and opened it. My eyes scanned the few words on the page. Part of me, the good side that wanted to keep me from doing things that were beyond sane, told me I shouldn't reply. I ignored that side of me.  
I looked around the classroom. My eyes were searching for Jake. I had to give him, somehow, some way the answer to his question. He'd asked me if he knew me. I had to tell him the truth -- yes.  
Then I found him. We looked in each other straight in the eyes and I, not sure what I was doing, nodded.

It was so weird the feeling I got then. It was like something had clicked deep inside of me. Something had been put back in place, a something I had no clue was even missing. A something that, I admit, I was glad to have back.

After class ended, we went to the cafeteria together, Jake and me.

~~~~~

Neither one of us discussed how we knew each other. What I mean is that we both knew that we had once been buds, and each of had flashbacks with one another in them. That was all we said about it. I got the feeling Jake didn't want to talk about it, and I sure as hell didn't. I figured I didn't have to press for info anyway, Jake might already remember. I'd figured out Jake liked comic books, though. Excepting one major problem.  
The poor fool was convinced that the Man of Steel could kick Spidey's arachnid butt. I would have to help the poor deluded soul see the light, it was my duty as a decent human being. As we sat there with our glop du jour (which I noticed had pineapple, ham, and pickles in it, I swear to you.) I went about my mission.  
"You're kidding me." I said to Jake, my face reflecting my disbelief at what he'd said.  
Jake sighed. "I am _not_ kidding you." He told me.  
I could not believe this. "Then you're insane. There is no way Superman could beat Spiderman in a fight."  
"Sure he could!" Jake protested. "Superman's an alien, with insane strength. All Spidey has are webs."  
Oh dear god, he was dissing the webslingers. It wasn't possible I'd been friends with this guy, was it?  
"Spidey could swing away from about anything Superman can throw at him." I informed Jake. He rolled his eyes.  
Then I thought of something else to add. "Spidey could always ruin Clark Kent's career. He is a photographer."  
"What's that got to do with anything?" Jake asked. I shrugged. "No one said he could beat him with his powers."  
Jake looked skeptical. "I thought that was the point you were trying to make." I didn't grace him with a reply.  
I then amused myself by picking apart my slop. I found that along with the pineapple, ham, and pickle there was something that looked a little too much like an eyeball for my comfort. I vowed to never again look at slop.  
Two girls then walked by Jake and I. His head snapped up again, like a dog with a thousand whistles.  
"Who _is_ that girl?" Jake asked, staring off at one of the two girls. I couldn't tell who they were in the crowd.  
"What girl?" I asked him, feeling confused and a little curious to see if she was cute.  
Jake pointed at the blonde. I blinked, recognizing her. "That's Rachel." I said, trying to not think about how quick I'd figured that one out. It was my good memory, that's all. Except that I didn't have such a good memory.  
"No!" Jake snapped. "Rachel's my cousin, I know who she is. I mean the girl next to her." He said.  
"Oh. That's Cassie Branch." I said, then I turned to Jake. "Wait a minute, your cousin is Rachel Berenson?"  
Jake nodded and I felt like an idiot. I should've known that they were related, they did have the same last name.  
"You have got to be pulling my leg." I said, gaping at Jake. He shook his head. "Nope, no joke." He said.  
I decided to joke around a little. "Jeez! If she were my cousin, I'd..." Jake's glare spelled my doom.  
"Never mind what I'd do." I finished. Jake looked ill. "That's just sick." He whispered and I played it up.  
I gave Jake a shrug. "Yeah, but she's _not_ my cousin." I told him. He shook his head very hard.  
It was then that I figured I shouldn't share the fact that I wasn't quite kidding.  
Then I saw Jake, the big lummox, staring at the black girl, Cassie, again. She would've seen it if he hadn't dove his head deep into his oh-so-delicious slop. I winced a little, and tried to ignore the queasy feeling I got.  
A good action had to be commended, though. "Nice save." I told Jake. He glared at me.

We went back to our debate. I was unsuccessful at converting him to the legion of Spidey fans this lunch period, but I had tons more left to try. In the meantime, I would keep assuring Jake of his mental deficiencies.

~~~~~

I took the bus home, like usual. The only differences between the morning bus and my afternoon bus were two things: Rosie and Rachel. In other words, this bus was hell. Lucky for me it wasn't a very long ride.  
I felt a surge of the green-eyed monster, though, as I caught a glimpse of Jake driving off with someone. Could be his brother or his dad. I couldn't tell from the angle. _It must be nice not to wait for a bus._ I thought.  
I used to not have to wait for the bus after school. That was a long time ago, back when I was a kid.  
Back when my mom was still alive. Back when my dad wasn't the wreck he is now.  
I can't quite remember when I started riding the bus on a regular basis. It wasn't long after Mom died and Dad stopped showing up to work. I do have to give Dad's boss, Jerry, some credit as far as that went. He gave Dad two weeks off to try and get over Mom. Two weeks was not enough. Five years has not been enough.  
I'm not angry with my Dad, though. I get it. I understand what a huge loss it's been for him. Because, you see, it's been a huge loss for me. I was like any other kid, you know what I mean? I loved my mom, she was the best in the world. Then she died. Okay, I admit it, I still miss her. But the thing that hurt the most was that when I lost her, I lost my Dad, too. He's still amongst the land of the living, sure, but he doesn't act it. He acts as if he's dead.  
It hasn't been easy on me, but it's not like I'm running around asking for pity. I don't need that and I don't want it.  
What I needed was to try and read up to page sixty-seven in my History book. Sure, I had loved goofing around in Mr. Brian's class, but now I wished he'd been a little better at making sure we weren't so far behind.  
I was almost done with my reading when the bus came to a stop in front of my house. I had three pages left, more than enough to deal with during lunchtime. I stashed my book back in my backpack and got off the bus.  
If you couldn't guess, I live in the poor part of town. I used to live in a better part of town. It's like not we were ever rich, but we also never had to double-check that we locked our doors, either. Welcome to my life.  
I used my house key and unlocked the door to a rather surprising site. Dad was doing something.  
"Why don't you close the door before you let a draft in?" Dad asked. I closed the door, feeling suspicious.  
Dad was standing the living room and he was vacuuming. He had to have been cleaning most of the day because our house looked, well, like a real house. Most of the time it resembled a pigsty at best.  
"Don't worry, I haven't touched your room." Dad told me and I took a cautious step inside.  
I took in a very deep breath. "All right," I said. "Who are you and what have you done with my father?"  
Dad laughed at my corny joke. "I am Zarbon of Trillian-695, and I have possessed your parental unit."  
If it weren't for the fact that it was such a bad joke, I might have believed him. Something had without a doubt happened to my Dad, and alien possession looked like it'd be as good an explanation as any right about now.  
"Okay," I said, trying not to laugh. "What's the truth here?"  
"I got my job back." Dad said, trying to vacuum away whatever-the-heck was under the couch.  
"You're kidding!" I gasped. Dad shook his head and pulled the vacuum out from under the poor couch. "Nope."  
"Dad, that's great." I said, noticing my voice had gone a little soft. Oh, I was not going to get emotional!  
"Isn't it?" Dad asked, beaming up at me. I smiled back at him. Yes, it was great. It was great to see my Dad not moping around, to see him picking his life back up after all these years. It was more than I could've asked for.  
"What brought this about?" I asked Dad. He shrugged, still letting the vacuum go. "I got tired of janitorial service."  
"You mean you're not going to be carrying around a mop and bucket anymore? Is that possible?" I teased.  
"As possible as me beating you at Doom." Dad said. Did I mention I can kick anyone's ass at Doom?  
"You think so, old man?" I asked. "I think we're going to have play, so I can prove just how wrong you are."  
Dad laughed and turned off the vacuum. "Don't get too cocky, now. I always let you win, you know."  
I made a rude noise and Dad moved into give me a hug. I didn't quite stop him or anything.  
Then he got off of me and booted up the computer. "This might take a while." Dad told me, smiling again.  
"You might want to consider ordering a pizza." He told me. I did a fake bow. "Why, of course, sir." I said.  
So I headed to the phone and Dad turned on Doom in the meantime. I ordered half-pepperoni, for me and half-ham for Dad and a large bottle of Pepsi. The guy on the phone said it'd be there in about ten minutes.  
I raced back to the living room and got ready to kick Dad's butt. I'm a nice guy, though, so I let him win.  
No, I swear, I'm not kidding. I could've beaten him any day, but I'm just nice enough to let him win.

I had no idea what was going to happen the next day.

~~~~~

I got to the bus on time for what could be the first time in my life. Yes, I did sit next to Rachel again, but it was no big deal. She seemed surprised that I knew Jake, though. I didn't mention the flashbacks to her, just so you know.

When we got off the bus, Rachel and I parted ways. She went off to go find her friends. I went off to go find Jake.  
Yesterday he'd promised me that he was going to meet me out in the front of the school before classes began.  
So I waited out front for five minutes without any sign of him, and I was starting to get ticked. There were only five more minutes until the bell rang and first period started. Either something had happened or he'd ditched me.  
I counted off the seconds until the next minute passed. I wasn't in the mood to stand and wait, after all.  
"Twenty-five, twenty-six." I counted to myself. "Twenty..." Then I saw him. Jake.  
He looked forty years older than the guy I'd been talking to during lunch the day before. It made me shudder.  
"Hey." I croaked out, my voice sounding so different from normal. "What's up?" I asked.  
Jake's face looked up at me, and I could see the wrinkles forming years too early. "We need to talk." He said.  
Then and there things reached the point that I could not convince myself that something was wrong. I could not have joked about Jake being out partying all night or something like that. This was a thousand times more serious than that. I had the feeling this was going to be something I had no desire whatsoever to hear.  
"Talk about what?" I asked, watching as Jake looked around him, a hint of paranoia in his eyes.  
"What is Tom?" He asked me, his eyes boring into mine. "What's happening to my brother?"  
I had no idea what Jake was talking about. At least, that's what I told myself. I ignored the gut feeling I had that, yes, I knew without a shadow of a doubt what Jake was talking about but there was no way I would admit that.  
"What do you mean 'What is Tom'?" I asked Jake. "Have you lost it?"  
Jake lowered his head and ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I don't know." He said, doubt in his voice.  
"You've heard of The Sharing, haven't you?" Jake asked me. I nodded. Yeah, I'd heard of the place. It was kind of like a coed Boys and Girls club for adults and kids. Not like I have anything against bettering society, but it wasn't my kind of place. Still, I had heard of it. It was pretty popular around school, lots of kids went there.  
"My brother's a full member." Jake said, and I laughed. "You mean one of those tree-hugging let dogs vote kids?"  
Jake laughed, but I noticed it was a bitter laugh. "Yeah, Tom's one of those."  
I blinked. Something about that name was familiar and I knew I didn't want it to be. "Poor you." I joked.  
Jake gave me a half-hearted smile in reply. "I went with him to The Sharing last night." He told me.  
Jake's voice grew soft and dark. "Everything was normal, until Tom started teasing me about becoming a full member. Then," Jake ran another hand through his hair, his voice shaking now. "Then it was like, I don't know, like he was having a heart attack. Or a seizure, maybe. That's what the doctors said. That's what that guy, Victor Trent, said. But I don't think that's what it is. I mean, Tom, he-he told me to run from The Sharing." Jake said.  
I almost felt flies mosey on into my mouth, I was so shocked. "Run from the Sharing?" I asked.  
Jake nodded in a brisk movement. "Yeah." He said. "It was as if it were the most important thing in the world, to tell me that. And then, this morning, he's all right again, you know? So I ask what that was all about and he doesn't tell me one damn thing!" I almost jumped, surprised by the level Jake's voice had taken on. People were staring.  
"You might want to quiet it down." I whispered. "People are looking at you, man."  
Jake smiled, nodded. "Of course, Marco. Good 'ol Marco, always watching my back, right?" He asked.  
Now I was confused and more than a little frightened. "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked Jake.  
"My flashback." Jake said, staring straight into my eyes. "You told me Tom was one of them. You warned me."  
"I told you what?" I whispered. On instinct I grabbed my head as it came back to me. Tom, Jake's brother, being way too nice to us. Playing video games with us. Asking us about the kids with fireworks at the construction site.  
Asking about _us. _I remembered knowing, no doubt in mind, that Tom_ had _to be a Controller._  
_What was a Controller? I looked up again, back at Jake. At that sad expression in his eyes.  
"You remember, don't you?" He asked. Wishing to the powers that be it wasn't true, I nodded. I had remembered.  
"There's something wrong with Tom, and there's something wrong with the Sharing." Jake said.  
Yes, there was. I could not deny the truth of Jake's words. They were facts from a life I'd forgotten.  
I'm not sure why in my right mind I ever mentioned it. I could have let my life go on like it should have. It wouldn't be too hard, in the long run, to forget what Jake had told me. To pretend that everything was all right.  
But I said it anyway. "We're not the only ones." I told Jake, letting my hands relax and letting go of my head.  
"In mine, there were others." I said. "We were with other people, it wasn't just you and me."  
Jake nodded, very slow. "Yeah, I kind of remember." He said. "There were...three or four others."  
I nodded in agreement. "There were six altogether, I think." I said to Jake. He looked at me for a moment.  
"What happened?" He asked. "I mean, in yours?" My mouth shut up again. I didn't want to tell him, though I'm not sure why. Some part of me wanted, more than anything in the world, to keep this hidden.  
I told him anyway.  
"We were a tiger and a gorilla." I said, laughing a little. It was Jake's turn to gape at me. "Are you serious? How?"  
I shrugged. "Don't ask me, I just know that's how it was." I said, and then I fought with myself. I fought with the urge inside of me that told me to not tell Jake about the other part of my flashback, and the knowledge that he needed to know. The feeling that I, too, needed to know what that meant. That I already suspected it.  
"I also told you not to tell the others." I said. Jake looked confused. "Not to tell them what?" He asked.  
The words fell from my mouth before I could think them, before I could stop them. "About my mother." I said.  
Jake took a step back. I heard the bell ring. "Oh, god." He whispered. "She's one of them, too, isn't she?"  
I laughed and I knew, deep inside, I was lying. "Doubt it. She's dead, don't you remember?"  
From the look on his face, Jake had not remembered this. But he didn't look convinced in the slightest.  
"If my superjock brother can have a seizure, then your mother can be alive." Jake said.  
It was the last thing I wanted to hear. "You're nuts, Jake." I snarled. "What normal guy has flashbacks, huh?"  
Jake's eyes glittered in anger. He was not going to play along. "If I'm nuts, then so are you." He whispered.  
"How do you know I wasn't playing along, you freak?" I challenged, trying to stare Jake down.  
It didn't do a thing. "Because my brother had a seizure in front of a ton of people. This is all real." Jake said.  
"No, it's not!" I shouted. I started storming off back to the school, along with the usual crowd of late kids.  
"You're just some sick, twisted freak and none of this is real." I said. Jake started following me.  
I turned to look at him. "None of it is real, do you hear me? _None of it!_" I shouted.  
Jake looked like I slapped him. "Marco..." His voice was soft, calm, reasoning. I refused to listen to it.  
"Look, your brother has some kind of condition." I told Jake. "And my mother is good and dead, god damn it!"  
"You know that's not true." Jake said and I turned away, unable to look at him. Couldn't he just shut up?  
"Oh, and it's true that you and I were once best friends who could turn into animals? It was true that your brother was a Controller? You expect me to believe it's true that my mother is not dead? What is your problem?" I roared.  
"Keep it down." Jake ordered. "I don't want to believe it either, but I can't deny it. You can't either." He said.  
Then he gave me an affectionate smile. "Not that you aren't trying like hell to do it."  
"Then what do you suggest we do, O Great and Fearless Leader?" I whispered, my voice bitter.  
"We need to find these others somehow." Jake said, not looking at me. I was glad for that.  
Jake took in another deep breath. "We need to find out what's wrong with The Sharing, too."  
I laughed, having a pretty good guess at what was coming next. "And you want me to help you?" I asked.  
Jake's voice was quiet. Not pleading, though, just asking. For something I couldn't give. "Yes." He said.  
I crossed my arms and shut my eyes. "All right, you psycho." I hissed. "But not because I believe you."  
"I'm not going to be the one held responsible for letting you go on whatever crazy goose chase you've cooked up, Jake Berenson. Maybe you're right and we're both crazy. Maybe something is up with your brother." I said.  
"But I will tell you, for the last time, that my mother is not alive. If anything, I'll help you just to prove that." I told him.  
Then I looked him in the eyes. "We'd better hurry, I think we're ten minutes late." I said. We went inside the school.

Jake and I did not talk for the rest of the day. We said nothing to each other in History.  
We didn't eat lunch together, either. I hung out with a few geeks I knew while Jake hung with some preppie kids.  
I went home and faked enthusiasm over Dad getting hired again. I was happy about it, though.  
I have a picture of my mom on my dresser. When I went to bed that night, I spent what felt like hours just staring at it. Hours spent playing the coversation Jake and I in my head over and over. Hours spent asking myself what kind of idiot was I, to agree to doing what Jake had asked of me? How could I believe what he'd said?  
I turned Mom's picture upside down. I couldn't look at it anymore. I couldn't think about this anymore.  
Jake Berenson was sick in the head, that was all. Maybe we both were.

Because he couldn't be right.

****

Now now, Ladies and Gents...(reviewer response) 

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Freak Apple - I don't have a problem reviewing, I like your story! And I like dancing, too! You're right, I think we should all dance! **snaps her finger and a disco ball comes from out of nowhere** Come on!

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Silver - I'm happy you liked the story and the quote. Oh yeah, and Tobias is coming up next, and he might have a memory or two of his dad, you never know. =)

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Puar Briefs - I agree with you that Tobias's name couldn't be Fangor. Like you said, Mr. Fangor no longer resides on this planet. Augh, I'm going to have to come up with a good last name for Birdboy, though. And I'm not lost yet! Oh, glad you enjoyed the Marco/Jake Supes/Spidey part, by the way. Let's see if I can decipher the other thing you mentioned -- Spidey/Peter Parker has to sneak into Batman/Bruce Wanye's mansion to get the Kryptonite he needs to defeat Superman/Clark Kent, but since he can't get past the security at Wanye manor, he lives for either Smalltown and/or Metropolis, both places where Kent has lived, in order to obtain said Kryptonite. Wow, am I good or what? Know that I think about it, I just revealed my far-too-high knowledge of comics, but that's okay. =P Hey, hey, I never said Andalites CAN'T drive, I'm just not sure they'd drive well. Better than a gorilla or a Hork-Bajir (ever read #51?), but still. Call it a sense that Ax wouldn't be as good with vehicles at his brother, who is infused with MUSTANG POWER! Okay, I watched Children of Dune too many times. Right. Oh yes, and Jake's parents splittin' up, that's a barrel full of twisty. Don't worry. And I think VIVA LAS MARCO is French. Plural french, actually. Oui, je parle francais. =P

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Kreepy Kat - Glad you liked it! And better than KAA? No way, she's published and I'm not! Could be 'cuz I haven't finished anything of my own, but that's gotta make her a better writer than me. I'd try publishing this but I don't think that's legal.

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Angelofcloud9 - Yay! You liked it! **cheers** Man, us poor single gals. **sniffs** Doesn't it suck? Oh well, I guess writing romance will help that. =P Oh yes, and they're be R/T and J/C ahead and a plenty. No worries there!

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MysticAnubisOFtheRING - Glad you like it.

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Lauren - Wow, hi! **waves** I'm glad you like the flashbacks, and I'll get everyone together soonish. Um, Ax will show up after Tobias. That's all I can say right now. And here's the next chapter, so you don't have to keep waiting!

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Neri - Gah! I'm doing these chappies as quick as I can! Glad you liked the Jake chapter, and the others go in this order: Marco, Tobias, and Ax. Woohoo.

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DJ Eagle - Well, thanks again for the idea! Glad you liked the Marco/Jake stuff, and as to answer your question, they aren't all anomalies (spelling, anybody?) as much as they aren't 100% stable. That's all I'm gonna say for now. Of course, the REAL answer is that I just wanted to write it that way, but there is an explanation. You'll see. Since you asked, I think it's spelled anomaly. Anyone wanna check that?

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HoneyB - **looks down** Unless I aged a few twenty years and had two kids in my sleep, I don't think I'm KAA. But, hey, it could be possible, I guess. Don't worry, Tobias is next and you should get some R/T. Oh, I didn't like Rach's death, either. **sigh**


	6. Chapter Five: Tobias

Author's Note: Well, here it is, the long-awaited Tobias chapter! Rejoice, rejoice! I hope this is as good as you guys all want it to be, and looky here! There's foreshadowing! Random thing - "Roberto Muldoon" is a nod to the book The World According to Garp, and the transvestite-quarterback Roberta Muldoon.  
It really _is_ a good book. Stop giving me those weird looks and read the story. =P  
I'd also like to apologize for the lateness in getting this one ready. The truth that, I was scared to write it. My home life is a lot more like Tobias's than I like to admit, and so writing about all of it is kind of hard for me. Sorry.  
This chapter is longer than the others, which I wouldn't apologize for, but this chapter sucks. =(  
The chappies should be coming out quicker, though, because I no longer have soccer practice. Whoopee!  
Oh, and Ax is up next and thanks to Puar Briefs for helping me get a last name for Tobias! **hugs**

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want." - Ben Stein 

* * *

**Chapter Five  
-Tobias- **

My name is Tobias. Just Tobias, that's all you need to know.  
That's all you're going to care to know, too.

I stepped over the broken bottles. I crept past my uncle, drunk and asleep, passed out on the couch.  
I opened the door and went back into my room. The bus would come in fifteen minutes.  
I broke open the package of cold Pop Tarts I'd snuck into the kitchen for. Its not like I'm not allowed to eat them, but my uncle doesn't like it when I do. Not that he ever notices I'm around, but I don't like getting his attention by making him angry. My uncle isn't very pretty when he's angry.  
The Pop Tarts were raspberry flavored, I think. I didn't quite taste them. They'd been coated with a liberal amount of frosting in attractive red and pink shades. As I chewed on the cold pastry, I wondered how many kids would be going to school and jumping off the walls from all the sugar in that frosting. It was kind of disturbing to think about.  
I'd never been one of those "jumping off the walls" kind of kids. I guess I just don't get hyper very much.  
Then again, I never had all that much to get hyper about. I swallowed down the last piece of my Pop Tart and slung my backpack over my shoulder and went back to creeping into the living room so I wouldn't be late for the bus.  
Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with going to school. My uncle wouldn't even notice, I bet. Or he'd just be telling me to get him a beer every five minutes. Because of him the people working at the 7/11 on our block think I'm some kind of alcoholic. You see, my uncle likes to send me for beer runs. He even gave me a fake ID for it.  
Aside from the fact that it had my name as "Roberto Muldoon" and said I was twenty-three, it wasn't too bad.  
It's the most money that I think my uncle has ever spent on me in my whole life. It cost him sixty bucks.  
He bought the thing for me as a five-months-too late birthday present after he had to go a week sober because the people at the 7/11 refused to let him buy any more beer. He kept coming in there drunk as a pissant, yelling for something to drink. The managers and the workers had enough of it and I got an ID out of the deal.  
The bus should've been pulling up any minute. God, did I ever want it to. School wasn't any better than here but at least it didn't smell like beer. At least there wasn't the fear of my uncle waking up.  
Nope, school smelled of pot and there was the fear of those pricks that wanted to shove me in my locker.  
I considered it something like a fair trade. As I was pondering this, the bus drove up and I walked out the door.  
As soon I stepped out, our driver who is some sadistic college student started up the motor.  
I started up my sprinting. The bus driver poked his head out the window and smirked at me, his eyes glinting.  
"Avan, you'd better get those legs of yours to _aviate_ right before I leave you at the curb!" He hollered.  
If I had been running like some crazed animal, I would have rolled my eyes. Even though I was kind of surprised the bus driver had enough brains to come up with that, but I mean, come on. Was that necessary?  
The bus was already moving and my legs were pumping so hard I was worried they were going to quit on me.  
"Run for it, Bird Boy!" The bus driver shouted and I ran. I was panting and sweating but I was just about a few feet now from the door of the bus. Almost close enough and it couldn't be long before he had to stop to pick up another kid, could it? I almost reached a dead panic when the bus reached the curb and I swore it was going to turn.  
But it stopped. I almost ran into the bus in shock. The bus driver was arguing with two kids standing up at the front of the bus. Real slow, I walked up to the bus and went inside. The driver and the two kids stared at me.  
One of them smiled at me. I was freaked out because, you see, I knew that kid. His name was Andy.  
Andy was one of many bullies whose goal in life was torture me. On instinct, I stepped back.  
"Relax." Andy said, still smiling a calm smile. A smile meant to disarm me, I knew. "I won't touch you." He said.  
"Yeah." Added the other kid, a friend of Andy's called Tap-Tap. Another bully who liked beating me up.  
"We were trying to convince Mr. Stevenson here to stop for you. Weren't we, Mr. Stevenson?" Tap-Tap asked.  
The bus driver, Mr. Stevenson, nodded. I blanched, wondering what the heck Andy and Tap-Tap had done.  
"There's a seat right there." Tap-Tap said, pointing to the first seat. He was right. It was empty.  
I plopped down in the seat, not quite sure of what the heck was going on. Tap-Tap and Andy were smiling again.  
Then both of them sat next to me on the old seat. Mr. Stevenson started up the bus again.  
"You know, Tobias, I have a great idea." Andy said. _Oh man,_ I thought. _Now they'll beat me up._  
I frowned, doubt dancing his eyes. "You do?" I asked. Andy nodded. "Yep." He said, grinning at me. It was odd.  
"What's your great idea?" I asked, my voice tight and wary. Andy smiled a suspicious kind of smile.  
"You ever heard of The Sharing?" Andy asked. Yes, I had. It was a Boys and Girls kind of organization. Lots of people had suggested it to me, but I'm a little pessimistic about those kinds of places.  
Call me a cynic if you want but in my experience most people who try to be caring have their own motives.  
I'm not saying there aren't good and kind people in this world who have a true desire to help their fellow man, but I haven't met many of them. My aunt just takes care of me for the free labor and my uncle uses me as a reason to pay fewer taxes. I guess it's time I explained my twisted family situation, isn't it? All right, but buckle your seatbelts.  
No one knows what happened to my father. Maybe he's dead. Maybe he ran out on Mom and I. Heck, maybe he's an alien who had to go back to his home planet, nobody has any clue. There only trace of him is my aunt and uncle (yes, they're siblings, not ex-spouses) and I'd say that's enough to drive anyone to drugs or whatever.  
The one thing we know is that my Mom wasn't able to take of me. I don't know why, or how, but she wasn't.  
I hear she just lost it after she lost my dad. Maybe she's drugged up. Maybe she's dead.  
"You should come with Tap-Tap and me to the next meeting." Andy said, grinning at me.  
"Nah." I said. "Not my kind of thing, and I'm too busy anyway." I halfway lied to Andy, and watch his face drop.  
Then it went away and Andy leaned over and gave me a noogie. "Aw, poor little Tobias, he's busy." Andy teased.  
I laughed and Andy got off of me. "Maybe sometime." I said. "When I've got more time."  
Andy was beaming up at me, looking like it was his birthday. "That'd be great, you know." He said.

Yeah, I thought. Maybe it would be. After all, if it turned around guys like Andy and Tap-Tap, what was the harm?

~~~~~

When I got to school, I met up with her.  
Her meaning Rachel Berenson, one time Queen of the Prep Squad, and a gymnastic wizardess. She's blonde, tall, beautiful and maybe a little dangerous. She's different, though, from all those other modelesque popular girls.  
The proof is that she stooped down to talk to me. Not like Rachel put in those words, but it's what she did.  
I was very grateful for that.  
Okay, I guess Rachel and I are kind of friends. We've had lockers right next to each other the whole year but we just noticed about two days ago. Rachel had said "Hi," to me, and her preppy friends got pretty pissed off at her.  
We partnered up in Biology that same day, and we've not quite been hanging out since. I suspect it has something to with the fact that Rachel is desperate for me to play baby-sitter to her two little sisters. For the record, I'd be thrilled to do it whether I got paid or not. It'd mean a few hours away from the Beer Factory and plus, I'd get to hang out with Rachel. Well, kind of. We would still be watching her sisters, after all. Still, it'd be cool.  
All right, I admit it. I like Rachel. But it's not like I'm ever going to tell _her_ that, she's way out of my league.  
"Hey, Tobias." Rachel said, flicking some of her long blonde hair out of her eyes as she opened her locker.  
"Hi." I said, feeling nervous and full of jitters. Feeling, more or less, like usual when I was around Rachel.  
Rachel pulled her books out of her locker and put them in her backpack. Then she smiled up at me.  
"Mom says you can do it." Rachel said, a half smile still leaking in on her lips. I blinked. "Do what?"  
Rachel shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Help me baby-sit Sarah and Jordan, of course." She said, smiling.  
"Oh!" I said. "Oh, yeah, right. Sorry, I forgot." I mumbled and Rachel shrugged. "It's okay." She said, then waved.  
"I've got to get to class." Rachel said, running off. "Talk to you in Biology. See you, Tobias!" She said, waving again.  
"Yeah." I said to Rachel's running form. "See you."  
Then I gathered up my books and shoved them in my backpack and went off like a prisoner to gym class.  
I hate to sound like one of those typical nerdy guys but gym isn't quite my thing. It's not that I hate sports, I just hate the way that I'm secluded. Most of the kids in my class don't bother with me and those that do, well, I wish they didn't, you know? If it weren't for that I might like gym. As it stands though, gym isn't my kind of thing.  
"All right, ladies and gents." Said Mr. Carl, our big and beefy gym teacher. He's the one I'm not too fond of.  
Our other gym teacher, Mr. Trelbourne, is a nice guy. He's in his late twenties and he's not a follower of that "no pain no gain" religion that Mr. Carl subscribes to. Mr. Trelbourne had gotten the flu, though; over the six weeks and that meant we were going to be stuck with Mr. Carl coaching us. Are there words that can express my joy?  
"We are going to do a bit of running today." Mr. Carl said, a sick sort of smile twisting up his face and tone.  
More than half the class groaned. I was amongst that group. The rest said nothing, but their faces revealed they, too, had no desire to go along with this exercise. "Come on, now, onto the field." Mr. Carl said and we followed.  
The fields outside the school are pretty well kept, but that might have something to do with the way that our sports teams are very successful. Therefore, good teams, good fields, and we assume, a good school.  
Didn't mean I was looking forward to running in those fields.  
"All right, get on that white line there." Mr. Carl said, pointing to a strip of white paint across the field.  
"When I blow my whistle I want you to bust your butt, okay?" He asked us. We all nodded back at him.  
"Now, listen, we're running four laps. Grab some water if you need it." Mr. Carl instructed. I watched as he placed the small plastic whistle up to his lips and released a sharp, loud squeak from inside. I jumped fifty feet in the air.  
Then I began to run. I've never been athlete material and I doubted I'd even be able to finish two laps.  
One foot in front of the other, left, right, left, right creating a rhythm that seemed to pump throughout my whole body. With all my willpower I tried to concentrate on that rhythm so that I wouldn't feel the fatigue and weakness to come.  
I ran as if my life depended on it. I looked up from my moving feet to see that I was halfway around the field.  
I was shocked but decided to keep on running, running like there were aliens hot on my trail.

**__**

Flash!

"Split up!" Jake yelled. "They can't follow all of us!"  
I ran faster than I'd ever run in my entire life. Me, Cassie and Marco had split off into different directions, out of panic or in an attempt to distract the Hork-Bajir, I'm not even certain anymore. I've been out of shape for as long as I can remember, and I can't remember a time I regretted it more. Rachel and Jake were running together.  
I guess they figured since they were the fastest runners, the aliens should be chasing them.  
Judging from the words spilling out of Rachel's mouth, I sure hoped that was the case.  
The Hork-Bajir snapped out commands in a mix of their language and English. Even in my panic I was shocked.  
It didn't stop me from running, though. It didn't stop my run for my life.  
All I could do was a quick prayer for all of us to somehow, in some way, survive the hell that was unfolding.

My legs gave way.  
I hit the fresh, clean green grass.  
Then I passed out.

~~~~~

"Get off your ass, you lazy little shit!" I did as I was told and raised myself up in the middle of the dark room.  
There were beer bottles everywhere. Some of them as big as houses, other about the size of ants.  
So much beer. How did it get here? I heard the crack of a belt. "What the hell are you staring at?"  
"Nothing." I said. It was strange, my voice sounded just like the voice of a little kid. How very odd all that was.  
"Nothing?" The voice, the one with the belt, said. I could almost hear its sneer. "Oh, you're staring up at something, boy, I know that. Always got your head up in the clouds. How could you be seeing nothing?"  
"I'm not seeing anything." I said, trying to make my voice more stable than I could even hope to be feeling.  
The voice snorted at me. "Seeing nothing, Tobias?" It asked. Then one of the bottles, one of the big ones, broke.  
A large foot had stepped on it. The beer spilled out, rich, musty and an odd orange color. Or maybe the beer was auburn, I couldn't tell. The room was too dark and it was too overpowering. The beer was flooding the room.  
It seeped into my bed, flowed underneath my bare feet. "What don't you see, Tobias?" The voice asked.  
God, the beer was up to my stomach! "What do you not see inside your twisting timeline?" The voice teased.  
I blinked, and tried to search for the voice and the foot that had broken the giant bottle of beer. It was out of my range and far beyond my sight. It felt like a dark force coming for me. I was filled with adrenaline then, feeling more afraid than I could remember feeling in a very long time. "Looking for something?" The voice asked, taunting me.  
"Who knows, maybe you'll find the beginning of your answers, Tobias." Then the voice laughed over and over.  
I heard a belt cracking again, this time louder than a pure clap of thunder. It sent me jumping up in the air.  
"Or maybe not." The voice said.  
I stared in shock and mute horror at my uncle's face. It was distorted and ugly. There was something very wrong.  
It could be the fact that his face was fifty times larger than usual, I think. Sounds like a good reason, doesn't it?  
I was so small. Just a little tiny thing compared to him. A little thing compared to that cracking belt in his hands.  
"Maybe there isn't one damn thing to find." My uncle said. His was almost soft, almost gentle if not for something else. If there wasn't that dangerous lilt, the one I'd come to fear, I might have been comforted by his words.  
"What is there to find?" My uncle asked. "Little green men?" He laughed and shook his mighty head.  
"Tobias." He said. "Stop dreaming." Then he rose the belt above his head and I went into something like shock.  
I wanted to move. Every cell in my body was trying to move, but I stayed fix and frozen in place. Oh, god! The belt!  
The belt was speeding towards me. Any second now it was going to crush me. Any second it would kill me.  
I shielded myself with my hands as I waited for it. As I waited for the inevitable, final crack of the belt.  
I didn't hear it and I know my uncle didn't hear it. It was there, though, hovering above our heads.  
About regular-size, not giant size. Large enough for me to fit, I noticed. I stared up at it all in amazement.  
The ship was shaped like egg, except for the long shaft sticking out of the end. That and the tail-thing.  
A hand emerged from the ship. Blue, with way too many fingers.  
I trusted that hand.  
I held on to it, even though I felt the hand shudder with pain at my tight grip. Then we flew away, far, far away.

My eyes snapped open to see the nurse's office. I groaned and hit my hands from the bright light. It hurt.

A dream. I should have known it was a dream.

I blinked away the stinging in my eyes, though I wasn't sure if it was from the light or waking up from my dream.  
Maybe I didn't want to know. I felt and I saw a soft, gentle hand push me back down onto the paper-thin bed.  
"Nice to see you're awake, Mr. Avan, but I don't want you moving around." The voice said. It belonged to the nurse.  
Nurses were nice to me on the whole and I liked them. Maybe it was the fact that I was the school's official bully magnet that made them be nice to me, and the fact that I was for anything my uncle was so much as antsy about, but there was at least some kind of alliance between me and school nurses. It made me feel safe.  
"What happened?" I asked, my voice coming out sluggish.  
"You," The nurse said, "Passed out during Mr. Carl's 'endurance run'." I noted a hint or two of contempt in her tone.  
"I passed out? Really?" I asked. The nurse nodded, looking angry. "I told Mr. Carl it was too hot for this."  
I laughed a little, trying to be courteous. "I take it you don't like Mr. Carl's methods very much." I said.  
"You've got _that_ right." The nurse said, now not even bothering to hide her dislike. "And after all of that."  
"All of that?" I repeated, feeling very confused. "What are you talking about?" The nurse waved me off.  
"It's nothing." She said as she wandered over to the sink and began filling a glass of mineral water.  
"Except that you aren't my only _Syncopal episode_ this week." The nurse said, frowning at me.  
I'm sure my face must've told her what I was thinking. "Your only synco-what?" I asked, my brows furrowing.  
"_Syncopal episode_." The nurse repeated. "It means fainting. Just two days ago, I had another one. A girl named Cassie Branch. Do you know her?" The nurse asked me. I shook my head, I'd never heard of her.  
"Just wondering if there was some kind of connection." The nurse said with a shrug. "I guess not."  
Then the nurse went back to me, the glass of mineral water gripped tight in her small hands. "Drink." She ordered.  
I picked it up and put it to my lips, resolving not to spit out the nasty stuff as soon as it touched my tongue.  
Taking in a deep, hard breath I swallowed most of it down in one gulp. The nurse smiled, looking satisfied.  
She took the cup from my hands and placed it down on a nearby desk. "I don't _like_ you up and about, but since you don't have a fever I can't excuse you from school, so it's all your call. If you want to call your parents there's a phone in the back of my office you can use. If not, I'm obligated to make you roam the halls." She said.  
Call up my uncle and go _back_ home to tell him I'd gotten sick? Nope, not even an option.  
"I think I'm not going to play truant boy today." I said, giving the nurse a little bow as I got out of the stiff bed.  
She laughed and shook her head. "All right but come back the moment you even feel bored!" She shouted.  
I laughed back at her. "Will do." I promised, opening the door to the nurse's office and shutting it behind me.  
I glanced at my watch then. It was 11:30, lunch was halfway over and I'd missed Biology!  
I half-walked, half-sprinted down the halls to my cafeteria so I could try and reach Rachel.

~~~~~

On its best days, our school cafeteria resembles a zoo. On its worst days, it is the picture of chaos.  
Today was not one of the cafeteria's best days. Kids were trying their hardest to get a bite to eat, everyone with a car was jetting off quick as they could while teachers traversed to nab food as well.  
There were people doing homework, throwing food, making out and making up lies. They were screaming, crying, laughing, and fighting. Yep, it was chaos all right.  
In it all I still couldn't see Rachel.  
It was then that I heard my stomach growling and for the moment I ended my search for the sake of food.  
I joined up with the usual line of people and found that the line was very thin. Maybe good things do come from almost skipping lunch. I ordered what _looked_ like a cheeseburger and a small carton of milk. It was to my luck that, aside from the fake ID, my uncle had done one other nice thing for me. He'd made certain to sign me up to the free lunch program since he was too cheap to give me money for a buck-thirty-five lunch, never mind that he didn't have the money for it in the first place. The lunchlady took down my name and armed with a hot Styrofoam tray, I went back to searching for Rachel. It was starting to bother me, you know. I _knew_ this was her lunch period, she'd told me so in Biology yesterday. So where was she?  
Then I saw her. It was her hair I noticed first, long and golden, flowing behind her.  
She was walking with a short black girl I didn't know.  
The word left my lips before I even had a second to think about it. Before I even though about how stupid it sounded, how moronic I thing I was about to do. I had no warning whatsoever.  
"Rachel!" I cried.  
She turned around to look at me. "Tobias!" She said.  
She started walking up to me, the short black girl following her. I almost stopped moving right then and there.  
A beautiful, amazing girl paying genuine attention to me. Was this happening or was I dreaming again?  
"Where the heck were you?" Rachel demanded, her face turning red with frustration.  
I blinked and stepped back, surprised. "The nurse's office." I said.  
"What were you doing in the nurse's office?" Rachel asked. Was she worried? Worried about _me_?  
I opened my mouth to tell her but the short black girl beat me to it. "Why don't you sit with us?" She asked.  
"Yeah!" Rachel cried, nodding with intense enthusiasm. "Come sit with us!" Then she gave me puppy dog eyes.  
So Rachel led the way with me and the black girl following behind her. It was odd. There was something familiar about that girl but I had no idea what in the world it was. Maybe it was nothing and I was just paranoid.  
We stopped in the middle of the cafeteria and sat at a little table. It was just the three of us.  
"Tobias, this is Cassie." Rachel said, pointing at the black girl. "Cassie, this is Tobias."  
We reached over and shook each others hands.  
"Hi," Cassie said. "Um, are you in any of my classes?" She asked, her eyes studying me.  
I shrugged. "I don't think so." I said. Cassie frowned.  
"You sure? Because I can't shake off the feeling that I know you from somewhere." Cassie said, smiling at me.  
I nodded in agreement with her. I had that same feeling. "Me too." I said.  
I glanced over at Rachel. She was being quiet and she looked odd. Bothered, maybe. Jealous? No way.  
Scared, maybe. I had to be imagining that, though.  
"That is so weird." Cassie said, now giving me a long, thoughtful look.  
"I wonder if we knew each other in a past life or something?" Cassie asked with an odd, secretive smile.  
I laughed. "You believe in that stuff?" I asked.  
Cassie laughed with me. "No, but it's all I can think of." She said with a self-effacing shrug.  
"Maybe you're both nuts." Rachel said, smiling. I grinned at her.  
_She's so beautiful when she smiles._ I thought, then I looked at her. She was still smiling.  
I saw her beauty and I thought of how nice she'd been to me. She was beautiful, yes, and more deserving than to settle for a mopey poor dork like me. _I'm not the right guy for her._ I thought to myself.  
"Hey, is this a dork only party or can anyone join in?" I looked up at the source of sound. A short guy, kind of tanned, with dark hair and what I suspected was a permanent grin on his face. Next to him stood a big, tall guy. White with a serious face. I knew the big guy. His name was Jake Berenson, and he'd helped me from a couple of guys determined to give me a swirlie after school. You never would have guessed he was Rachel's cousin, though.  
Rachel glared up at the short guy but there was amusement dancing in her eyes. "You know, Marco, if it's a dork-only party then of course you can join. You'll be the only dork here but I'm sure you're used to that."  
The short guy grimaced. "And she puts another knife through my heart!" He exclaimed.  
Both Rachel and Jake rolled their eyes. I guessed they were friends with this Marco guy.  
"Pull up a chair." Rachel said, gesturing with her hand to the empty table next to us. Marco and Jake took some seats and made spots for themselves. Marco sat next to Rachel and Jake sat next to me.  
"So, what brings you guys here?" Rachel asked, her eyes scanning both Marco and Jake for an answer.  
"What brings us troublemakers here is this guy." Marco said, jerking his thumb at Jake.  
It was then that I noticed that seemed to be a lot of anger boiling between the two of them. Why was that?  
"Yeah, he's right." Jake said, his voice sounding sheepish. "I wanted to ask you guys something."  
"What did you want to ask, Jake?" Cassie asked. Jake's eyes met with hers and I swear he almost blushed.  
"I wanted to ask if, well, anything weird had happened to you guys this week." Jake said, looking nervous.  
I stared at Jake as I thought of when I'd passed out on the field. Did he know about that somehow?  
Rachel looked uncomfortable and Marco, I noticed, made sure not to even so much as look at Jake.  
It was Cassie who spoke up. "Yeah, something weird happened to me." She said, her voice now quite soft.  
Rachel's eyes had gone wide with shock as she stared at Cassie. Marco leered at her, looking suspicious.  
Jake, however, just seemed eager to find out more. "What happened to you?" He whispered.  
Cassie answered Jake in a soft whisper. "I had a...flashback, I guess you'd call it. You guys were all in it, too. Yeah, I know that sounds weird since I just met Tobias and Rachel and I have just known each for two days, but I'm sure of it. We were all in the construction site. You know the one by the mall? We were there. We were there when it landed. When _he_ landed." Cassie said, her voice never rising above a tiny whisper.  
It was so weird the feeling I got when she was talking. No matter how much I wanted to ignore her words, no matter how desperate I might've been, I couldn't. I wouldn't. Not after she had mentioned "him".  
I had a feeling of a bond that ignored the rules of time and space. The feeling of a strong, unbreakable bond.  
Like the bond between father and son, but that had to be my imagination working on overtime.  
I knew it, though, deep in my heart. Cassie was right. At some point, in some time, we had all been in the construction site and that moment had changed all of our lives.  
"She's right." Rachel said, her voice about to break. "I don't quite remember it, but I know it's true." Rachel said.  
Then she took a deep breath as she continued. "The five of us knew each other, I know that. It's true."  
"Six." We all turned to look at Marco, who was hunched over his chair. "There were six of us, not five."  
I knew it in a heartbeat. Marco was telling the truth. I can't quite explain it but I remembered there was another.  
Another that, I had a feeling was very important to me. "What are you talking about?" Rachel asked Marco.  
"There were six of us, I'm sure of it." Marco said. "In," He took a deep breath. "In my flashback, there were six."  
Jake nodded more to himself than to any of us. "When Marco told me that, I kind of remembered." He said.  
"I have no idea who it could be but I do remember there were six of us." Jake added, looking at all of us.  
"I remember, kind of." Cassie said. Rachel nodded. "I remember someone else." I agreed.  
After that we were all kind of quiet. Cassie claimed she and Rachel had eaten already, Jake left to get a cheeseburger of his own and Marco ran off in search of a Twix bar. They both came back to sit with us.  
I spent what remained of lunch watching Rachel and eating my cheeseburger. At some point she and Marco had gotten into an argument, but anyone with half a brain could tell they were flirting. I felt my heart sinking.  
I'd known I wasn't the kind of guy Rachel liked, but it hurt to watch. I munched on my burger to distract myself.  
To my surprise I ended up finishing the whole thing. I got up from my seat to go throw my lunch away.  
Rachel touched my arm. I turned to look at her, surprised. She was smiling at me. "Seven-thirty." She said.  
I guess she must've read the confusion on my face because she added. "That's when you need to be at my house."  
"Oh, right." I laughed and went off to throw my tray away. By the time I was back she and Marco had started fighting/flirting again. So maybe I couldn't be more than a friend to Rachel, but I could be her friend.

Wouldn't that be enough?

~~~~~

The rest of school passed on like usual. Which meant it was a very miserable experience.  
I waited for my bus ten minutes early this time, so as to not have to go running for my ride again.  
My uncle wasn't even awake when I got home. I almost thought he was dead, considering that he'd forgotten to lock the door. I locked it back up when I got inside so he wouldn't get suspicious. I didn't need that.  
I went back to my room and dumped my backpack on the floor. I must've been on the good side of some deity because I didn't have any homework. I could use a shower, though.  
So I picked out a different outfit and got myself cleaned off. By the time I was dressed and tried to brush my hair, it was already five-thirty. I'd gotten home at about four o' clock. My uncle still hadn't so much as stirred.  
I would've spent the time watching TV except for the fact that my uncle had chosen the couch to pass out on.  
Maybe I should've moved him to his bed, I thought. I chose not to, though, since I didn't want to hear his accusations of my delinquent behavior if he realized he hadn't passed out in his bedroom.  
Did I mention my uncle is willing to believe every worst thing possible about me? Well, he is.  
My head was far too full of the events of this afternoon to have paid much attention to whatever was on the boob tube, anyway. I lay with my back on my bed as I thought of everything that had happened.  
First I'd passed out after having a flashback to being chased by something like Salad Shooters with legs.  
After that was the weirdest lunch period of my life. I still wasn't sure what made me so certain about what either Cassie or Marco had said, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I just had a feeling about both the people that they'd mentioned. Call it crazy if you will but then again I'm not that sure any of us at that table are sane.  
It blew my mind when I got to thinking about it. It was almost as if there was a whole another life I'd lived but somehow, someway, for whatever reason I couldn't grasp, I couldn't remember any of it.  
Except from that one tiny flashback. That was the one single clue I had in this world and it wasn't much of a clue.  
Considering that this other life of mine consisted of walking Salad Shooters, maybe we'd all just repressed the memories somehow. Or maybe we were all one-hundred-percent off our rockers. Do the crazy know they're crazy? Of course, there was the possibility that things were much more complicated than I could imagine.  
That thought frightened me. So I unzipped the front pocket of my backpack and rummaged through it for something. I pulled out a folded up piece of paper. It was Rachel's number and address.  
No, I'm not some sick stalker. She'd given it to me before we left school.  
I was going to have to leave at six-thirty if I even hoped to make it to her house on time. I kind of forgot to mention to Rachel that I didn't have a car. Well, to tell the truth, that I wouldn't be getting a ride in the car any day soon.  
I glanced over at my alarm clock. It was close to six 'o clock. I rolled off my bed and went into the living room to see if my uncle had woken up. He hadn't. I almost considered sitting on him and seeing what was on, but I didn't.  
To my surprise, he started moving. Maybe the old lump was going to wake up? He rolled over with a grunt.  
I sighed. Screw this, I was just going to go over to Rachel's now. I went back to my room for a pen and nabbed a sticky note off the fridge. Then I stuck it to the TV screen and wrote my uncle a quick note.

Baby-sitting at a friend's house. Be back at about 10:30.  
655-7722, 908 Third Avenue  
Tobias

Then I put the pen and Rachel's address in my pocket and walked off. My uncle would be pissed but so what?

The walk to Rachel's went by quicker than I expected. It could've had something to do with the way I couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened at lunch, but maybe it was just a short walk.  
When I got there I saw a middle-aged lady in a very nice suit waiting with her hands on her hips.  
"You're Tobias, I take it?" She asked. I nodded; feeling very intimidated by this woman.  
The woman shook my hand and smiled. "I'm Naomi, Rachel's mom." She said. "Any numbers you need should be on the fridge, Sarah's allergic to strawberries, the money for a pizza in on the counter and please just buy a cheap one from the grocery store. It's easier on my budget that way and Jordan and Sarah love them. Make sure Sarah is in bed by eight, Jordan by ten. Ask Rachel if you have any more questions." She didn't even stop for breath.  
Naomi then inhaled deep and shook my hand again. "I've got to get going, nice to meet you, Tobias."  
Then Ms. Berenson got into her car and drove off. I looked up to see Rachel standing on the porch.  
She shook her head. "That's my mom for you. World's Biggest Busybody." Then she smiled at me.  
"Come in, you dork." She said. I followed her inside. The house was a heck of a lot nicer than mine was.  
I mean, I'm not a materialistic guy, but it was way different from the "apartment" I shared with my uncle.  
Two girls stepped out. One looked like she was about twelve years old and she reminded me a bit of Rachel.  
The other one was a little girl who either five or six. She was tagging along with the other girl, who she just plain seemed to adore. I have to admit it was kind of cute. "This is Jordan and Sarah." Rachel said. "My sisters."  
"You're Rachel's new boyfriend, right?" The older girl, Jordan, asked. "Nice to meet you."  
"Jordan!" Rachel shouted, whirling around to his sister. "Tobias is _not_ my boyfriend!"  
I wasn't quite sure what to say. Should I just ignore Jordan or try to set her straight? Jordan rolled her eyes.  
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much." Jordan commented. Rachel looked at her, an evil glint in her eyes.  
"Jordan, you know I have Lance's phone number, don't you?" She asked. Jordan paled. "You wouldn't!" She cried.  
Rachel smirked. "Would." She said. "Don't you dare!" Jordan shrieked as Rachel ran for a phone.  
I stood there in the living room with Sarah as Rachel and Jordan ran through the house. I knelt down to face the five-year-old. She looked at me with blue eyes wide as saucers.  
"Are your sisters always like this?" I asked her. Sarah nodded. "Okay, then." I said. "It's gonna be a long night."  
"Why?" Asked Sarah. I frowned as I thought up an answer. "Because your sisters are silly." I said.  
Then Sarah made that noise. You know, the one all little kids make when someone else misbehaves?  
"Tobias said you're silly!" She shouted. Rachel and Jordan came crashing into the living room, Rachel having Jordan in some kind of headlock. "Who's silly?" She asked, looking up at me. "Um, you." I said.  
Jordan snorted. "That's his way of saying he likes you." She said. Rachel tightened her headlock.  
"Oh, shut up before I call Lance for you." Rachel said. Then she looked at me. "The girls are getting hungry, so I was thinking we should nab a pizza from the grocery store before it closes." She said. Jordan started laughing.  
"_We_ aren't hungry. _You're_ the one who kept complaining about her stomach growling." Jordan said.  
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Rachel mused.  
"What about that pizza?" I asked. Sarah's eyes lit up. "Pizza?" She asked. "We're having pizza?"  
Rachel let Jordan loose. "Yep, Sarah-Bo-Bara, we're having pizza." I cocked an eyebrow and Rachel glared at me.  
"I can call my sister whatever I like." She whispered in my ear. Then out loud, she asked. "Could you get the money?"  
So I grabbed the money off the counter and we went the four of us, to go buy ourselves a cheap pizza.

~~~~~

I can tell you that, in a small town, everything is pretty much closed before ten 'o clock rolls around.  
California, New Jersey straddles that fine line between a small town and a medium-sized town.  
Despite that people were still pouring out of the grocery store at eighty-thirty, when Jordan, Sarah, Rachel and I got there. More like Jordan, Rachel, and I to be honest. I was stuck carrying Sarah, who'd fallen asleep on the way.  
The good news about the lack of people meant that we found our pizza pretty quick and didn't have a mile-long line to wait through. The bad news was that other people had noticed this advantage, like the lady in front of us.  
Her blonde hair was tied up in a long ponytail and she was dressed in a pink sweater and jeans.  
She had enough groceries to feed an entire army. The cashier chuckled. "I take it your new kid eats a lot?"  
The blonde woman laughed. "He's like a bulldozer! I'm almost worried this isn't enough!" She said.  
"I bet he's as big as a house." Jordan said. Rachel gave her a noogie. "That wasn't nice." She said.  
Then Rachel winked at me. I agreed with her and Jordan, unless this lady's kid had a supernatural metabolism.  
The cashier got through the lady's mountain of food quick enough. Then we bought our cheap pizza and left the grocery store. When we got back to Rachel's place, I tucked in Sarah (after finding out where her room was) while Rachel and Jordan put the pizza in the microwave. I came back and found Rachel in the living room sitting on the couch and flipping through the channels. I sat next to her.  
"What're you doing?" I asked her. Rachel shrugged. "Trying to find a program Jordan can watch."  
"There's _Buffy_." I said, pointing at the screen. Rachel frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."  
"I watched _Buffy_ when I was twelve." I protested.  
"Yeah, and Jordan likes it, but I don't think she should watch it before she goes to bed. Nightmares, you know?" Rachel asked. I couldn't help but smile a little. Rachel sounded like a worried mom.  
"What're you smiling at?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing." I said.  
Jordan walked in with a paper plate adorned with three slices of pizza. "Aw, isn't this cute?" She teased.  
"Not half as cute as you shutting up." Rachel said. Jordan stuck her tongue out at Rachel and sat down between the two of us. I kind of wish she hadn't, but I didn't mention that. It wasn't like Rachel liked me in the first place.  
"Oh, Rachel, stop! _Buffy's_ on!" Jordan cried. Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but then she caved in.  
"Fine." She said. "But don't tell Mom I let you watch it before you went to bed, okay?" Rachel asked.  
"Okay." Jordan agreed.  
It was an old rerun, one of the episode where Xander gets possessed by a hyena. Lucky for Rachel and I that Jordan fell asleep before it got gory. That episode still induces a few nightmares for me, and I'm fifteen.  
Rachel put Jordan to bed and came back to the living room with me. "What'd I miss?" She asked.  
"Nothing but Xander being an idiot when it comes to Willow." I said. Rachel shook her head.  
"I'm glad they got with Tara and Anya." Rachel said. "That best-buds-being-lovers thing always ends bad."  
I blinked and looked at Rachel. "What do you mean?" I asked her. She shrugged and didn't give me an answer.  
"Is Marco an old friend of yours?" I asked, focusing my attention on the screen.  
"No. I just met him yesterday." Rachel said. I felt my heart go sinking into my chest again. Great. Just great.  
"Oh!" Rachel said. "That reminds me. Jake wanted me to ask you something." Rachel told me.  
"Yeah, what?" I asked. "He wanted to know if you wanted to help us find the sixth kid-with-amnesia." Rachel said.  
I blinked at her, surprised. "Why wouldn't I?" I asked.  
Rachel laughed. "That's what I told him." Then she smiled at me, and I have to admit, it was a nice thing.  
Even if she wasn't ever going to consider me as more than a friend, I didn't care. Not if she kept smiling.  
"Hey, look at that." Rachel said, tapping my arm and pointing at the screen. "Xander's coming around!"  
We watched TV until Rachel's mom came home at ten-thirty. I got five bucks for my baby-sitting work and Rachel's Mom drove me home. I think my uncle must've woken up because the note wasn't on the TV anymore, and it looked like he'd made himself a sandwich or something, but I'm not sure. He was asleep on the couch again when we got back. I didn't think much about it, though.

I preferred to think about Rachel's smile.

****

Simmer down, ladies and man-things. (Reviewer Response)

Lauren -Glad you liked the last chapter, and I'm sorry this one took so long! Why do people pick on Marco? I dunno, but I just think it's fun. Besides, it's easy to make fun of someone who'll make fun of themselves, I guess.

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Doctor Strangelove - Yes, it's Marco! I know a lot of his chapter was a repeat, but I had to do that to set one of my subplots in motion. (You might wanna try re-reading those parts to see if you can guess what I'm talking about.) I'm glad someone liked the Rachel/Marco stuffs. I found her tearing his headphones off his head hilarious for some reason. Tobias is here, and his chapter sucks, but on the bright side, Ax is next! And no, there won't be slashy goodness. Yet. =P Oh, and this is the only time I'm going to reveal something: Marco's dad is NOT a Controller. He's just not depressed anymore, so that explains that. Oh! I think I might've found a fic you'd like. Try reading "Check Mate" by Chibi Bulma. I haven't read it, but judging from the summary, I think our search is over. Rejoice!

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FreshAngelicBabe - I'm glad you like this and here's the Tobias chapter!

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Rachel-Simona - Thanks for your compliments and I'll be damned if I stop writing after 11 chapters. If that happens, all you guys get to shoot me. And I updated! Don't hurt me!

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stormwing Sorry about the swearing. But now that I think of it, if that bothered you, I'd recommend you stop reading after I finish the first part of this series because the next two parts will be rated R for a myriad of reasons. I am a Harry Potter fan and the "Ron" thing was 100% on purpose. I'm glad somebody caught that. As of this point, the Animorphs are high school sophomores and are 15-16 years of age. Hope you liked this new chapter!

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Freak Apple - I'm not on Spring Break anymore. I miss it. **sniff** School buses are evil! So is school, except for that whole education part! Your bus driver sounds unsatisfied with his position in life. I wouldn't recommend telling him that, though. And yep, Tobias is here! **plays hero music**

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HoneyB - Tobias is next and I hope you liked his chapter. If not, Ax's should be a lot better.

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Puar Briefs - Er, yay. I did...something...**feels confused** YAY! COOKIES! **takes up the cookies** You know, now that I think about that, I should have Marco shout "Are you INSANE?!" sometime soon. Probably at Rachel. Glad you liked Cassie's name, I was trying to think of something nature-oriented when I thought of it. I have no idea where "Marco Jones" came from, though. Oh, and do you mind that I used Avan for Tobias's last name? I'm glad you liked the Marco-Berserker scene. Oh, and I would say Marco is a lot like Rachel when he's pissed. Kind of weird, isn't it? **blink** The Zarbon thing WAS random. What'd I do this time? 

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	7. Chapter Six: Ax

Author's Note: Yay, it's the chapter where all of you Ax fans are either going to love me or come after me with a bunch of meat cleavers. I hope it's not the meat cleavers. I just wanted to say the whole basketball thing is homage to the awesome fic Year of the Nothlit.  
Oh, and don't worry, all will be explained. Don't kill me for this. **runs and hides from the Ax fans**  
Please read _the whole chapter_. It may or may not clear your confusion, but it's a good idea.  
Oh, and have fun figuring out the little stuffs in Ax's ID and Password. **sighs** I'm such a dork.

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer." - Farmers' Almanac, 1978 

* * *

**Chapter Six  
-Ax- **

My name is Ax Isthil.

You don't have to tell me, I know my name is weird.  
Maybe my parents were drug-smoking hippies. I don't know, though, because I've never met my parents.  
For all intents and purposes, I am an orphan. Been hopping from foster home to foster home for as long as I can remember. It wouldn't be such a bad thing if I didn't have to start all over all the time. Like I was doing right now.  
New state, new town, new school, new house, new foster parents. To tell the truth, I'm kind of sick of it all.  
It was seven-thirty in the morning. Don't ask me how I know but I just did. It's been a talent of mine I've always had.  
I felt the covers being yanked off my bed. I felt a slight breeze pass through my room and I wished that the evil cover-stealing entity would return the articles of warmth back to me, but I don't quite have that kind of luck.  
"Get up before I set Champ on you." I peeked up, years of experience making my eyes still appear closed.  
My new foster mother was looking down at me. She was dressed in a black-and-white checked suit, sunglasses and all. I guess she wanted to make a good impression on whatever school authorities she and I ran into.  
She wasn't so bad, this one. I'd been living with her for about a week now and so far she'd treated me all right.  
Of course, she let me get away with watching _The Young and the Restless_ and _Passions_ until three in the morning, unlike the Stevensons who worried about just what kind of boy watched Soap Operas, or the TV-hating Tompsons. That's part of why I liked Mrs. Smith, though there was something just plain likable about her. Don't take that to mean I have a crush or anything on her, though. Mrs. Smith's just a bit too old for me.  
"Mrs. Smith, I don't want to go to school." I said, keeping my eyes shut tight as I pretended to stay asleep.  
Mrs. Smith threw something soft at me. My school clothes, I think. Then, evil as she was, Mrs. Smith whistled.  
It happened before I could even so much as hope to prevent it. Champ, Mrs. Smith's huge and annoying german shepard leapt up on to my stomach, jolting me awake from my fake sleep and sending Mrs. Smith into laughter she just managed to conceal behind her hand. I glared at her as Champ took it upon himself to lick my face.  
"Get dressed and get downstairs." Mrs. Smith ordered as she walked out of the-guest-room-turned-boy's-room.  
Then she turned to look at me with her hands on her hips. "And it's not Mrs. Smith. It's Loren to you, Ax." She said.  
Loren closed the door behind her after that and left me to change. I scooted Champ off of me and the bed then retrieved the clothes that were now coated in the hairs of my dear _canis familiaris_ friend.  
I put on the blue shirt and blue jeans Loren had left for me as quick as I could. It might've had something to do with the fact that whatever was in the kitchen had an aroma that aroused my suspicions. Suspicions of waffles.  
I held onto my sneakers with my right hand as I raced down the stairs to the warm, bright, and wonderful kitchen.  
I suppose it could be said that I'm a pig. I myself prefer the term connoisseur, except without the hautiness.  
You see, it's a quite a simple thing. I love food. Food, if you ask me, is the main reason for our human existence. Without food, would life be worth living? Think about it for a minute and I'm certain you'll agree with me here.  
So it goes without saying that I was overjoyed to find that my nose had not deceived me and I found myself facing a plate of nice, fresh, hot waffles. There were three on the plate and I noticed Loren seemed to be making more.  
By this time she'd caught onto my eating habits. I decided Loren could have the new waffles, though, if she liked. This would be enough for me. I walked around the kitchen and found a bottle of maple syrup on the counter. I also took the stick of butter Mrs. Smith left in the fridge. I'm very reassured she'll never miss it.  
The microwave beeped and Loren pulled out a new plate of waffles with her mittened hand.  
"Hey Ax, are those enough for you?" Mrs. Smith asked me. I looked up from my plate of waffles and nodded.  
Loren smiled. "Good." She said. "You finish those, I'll finish my coffee and it's off to school we go." She added.  
Loren started laughing at my groan of displeasure. It was ten minutes later that she dropped me off at my new school.  
George Washington High School, California, New Jersey. I had no warning about what was to overcome me.

~~~~~

It wasn't any different from the other high schools I'd seen, except that this one looked a bit nicer.  
The same kinds of kids roamed the halls. Geeks, jocks, preps, punks, and those occasional kids who either just plain didn't fit into any label nor had the mere audacity to define themselves even at high school age.  
The teachers I saw didn't seem any different, either. There were the power-hungry kind, the ones who were stuck with the job, those who tried to fit in with the kids, and the ones that gave a genuine care about their students.  
"GWHS, Home of the Flying Eagles." Mrs. Smith said as the two of us surveyed the building from outside her car.  
I blinked, surprised at the nostalgic tone in her voice. "Did you used to attend this school?" I asked her.  
Mrs. Smith laughed, though at some of behavior of mine or the question itself, I don't know. "Yes, I did." She said.  
A look of good old pride spread across Mrs. Smith's features. "I was a Fighting, Flying Eagle myself." She said.  
I looked at Mrs. Smith. "You were?" I asked. Mrs. Smith nodded, her face still beaming with pride.  
"Who knows, maybe you'll end up liking this place." Loren said. Her voice was full of teasing mirth.  
"We'll see." I deadpanned. Loren just sighed and shook her head at me and led me to the principal's office.  
The office, too, looked like any other principal's office I'd ever seen. To be honest, the office bothered me. It was almost as if the place was _too_ ordinary, as if this school, or at least its principal, had something to hide.  
I had to be imaging that. Loren and I sat in the chairs next to what I assumed was the principal's desk, Loren on the left and I on the right. We were waiting for about six minutes when the principal walked in. He was a skinny man who was going bald. Not threatening in any particular way, but something about him alarmed me.  
"Sorry I'm so late." He said as he seated himself across from Mrs. Smith and I. "Paperwork, you know." He smiled.  
"I'm Hendrick Chapman, and I take it that you're Ax Smith?" Chapman asked.  
I fought against the shock I felt in my gut. It wasn't the first time I'd been mistaken for one of my foster parent's children, but I'd expected Chapman to know the difference. After all, it was only in a very strange world that Loren could be my relative. We didn't look a thing alike. She was your typical blonde-haired, blue-eyed thirty-something.  
I was what you'd call a mix. From what I can tell, I look like my parents were of Caucasian and Hispanic descent.  
Which is just a bit strange as it doesn't quite offer a good explanation for why my own eyes are blue.  
Most people I've seen with that kind of a heritage have brown eyes. Not the dark blue eyes that I have.  
"Isthil." I said to Chapman. "Ax Isthil."  
Loren sent me an apologetic look for, I guess, Chapman's assumption. It was kind of comforting.  
"Isthil?" Chapman repeated. He looked from me to Loren, his face plastered with confusion. "I'm so sorry."  
"I just assumed that," Chapman was stopped by Loren's voice and her finger up in the air, motioning for silence.  
"It's all right, sir." Loren said. "I'm Ax's foster mother."  
"Foster mother?" Chapman repeated but then his face lit up with the light of understanding. "Oh! I remember now!"  
Then Chapman smiled at me. His eyes were seeking forgiveness. "I apologize, Mr. Ishthil." Chapman said.  
I smiled back. "Of course, I understand." I said. "You have so many students, after all." I added with a shrug.  
For a split second I saw Mr. Chapman's face twitch.  
I drew back from him, trying to convince myself that I was seeing things.  
The twitch had stopped and Chapman was back to normal. "Yes, I do." He said with a mysterious smile on his face.  
I took a deep breath. Had to appear calm before the enemy.  
_What am I thinking?_ I asked myself. _What enemy?_ I shook my head to clear my thoughts.  
Loren stood up and I felt a jolt of fear. I didn't want her to leave me here. She got up anyway.  
Mrs. Smith shook Mr. Chapman's hand. A hard, firm shake on both sides. A gesture of trust that sent chills up my spine. I wanted to leave the office and go back. Go back to Loren's home and leave this school.  
But Loren was the one leaving, not I.  
I watched, feeling afraid and helpless as Loren stepped out of Chapman's office, off to live her life.  
Chapman closed the door behind her, making just a soft sound. I came close to swallowing a lung.  
Chapman snuck me a conspiratory kind of smile. It was then I had no doubts that something was wrong.  
"Mr. Isthil, can I ask you for a favor?" Mr. Chapman asked. Wariness filling every limb of my body, I replied to him.  
"Sure." I said, ignoring the fear I felt. "Sure, Mr. Chapman."  
Chapman smiled, looking blissful beyond belief. "Very good." He said as he began walking towards me.  
"Now, I won't even try to hide the fact that I know all about your skills, Ax." Chapman said, now circling around me like a cat slinking in search of a tasty, fat fish. I scowled at his words. I'd know what he meant by my "skills".  
Every one of the officials at any of the schools I'd been to knew of what Chapman was calling my "skills."  
It lay on my public record, open for every soul on the planet to see. I couldn't show my fear, though.  
Honor was everything, in the end. "What do you want from me?" I asked.  
"Just what I wanted to hear." Chapman said, placing his fingers back on his desk and facing me.  
There was a smarmy smile on his face. I'd never seen someone smile so much.  
"Now, I need you to look up info on these two kids. They've both had odd fainting episodes, and I would like it if you researched them for me." Chapman's eyes were gleaming. "Check their personal records and try to see if you can pry some info from them, or perhaps their friends. Make new friends, you know?" Chapman suggested.  
"Why should I do what you're asking?" I hissed. I sounded much more secure than I felt, which was good.  
"Because of this." Chapman said, his voice dangerous, his face inches from mine. "Because if you don't, I'll make certain I ruin what remains of your record, you parent-less bastard. Make it so you've no chance at college and you're living on the streets." He said.  
I sank in my chair, accepting defeat. "Okay." I whispered. "What are their names?" I asked.  
Chapman smirked at me. "Cassie Branch and Tobias Avan."  
He helped me out of my seat and gave me a pat on the back as I went out the door. He smiled at me again before I left his office. He still had something to say to me, though. "I hope you enjoy GWHS." Chapman whispered.  
Then I went out into the halls to do my duty.

~~~~~

I went through the first three periods like a zombie. Mr. Chapman's orders were ringing through my head, and I couldn't even attempt to forget them. No matter how desperate my desire was to do just that.  
I'd gone through the usual ho-hum introduce myself to the class and be ogled at by kids with nothing better to do routine. It was that something that I was quite familiar with, to tell you the truth.  
It wouldn't be such a hard thing if I didn't know that I'd end up moving to someplace else before I managed to form any lasting friendships. I have a few online friends but in my real, non-virtual life, I was alone. A one-man army.  
After what Chapman was leading me to do, the possibility of gaining any friends looked even slimmer.  
I in general, intimidated people. I knew the reason why but that didn't make me special.  
Most people like me weren't well liked by others, to say the least. I had learned that lesson the hard way.  
I was in the lunchroom just to buy myself a sandwich and then, upon inspecting the school map next to the front doors, I made my way to the library. To be more precise, I made my way to the computers.  
In order to carry out the mission that Mr. Chapman had given me. I didn't even want to do it, to tell the truth.  
I couldn't care less if a couple of kids had been fainting for no reason. It had nothing to do with me and I was against the idea of cracking into some kid's personal files. Which is surprising, considering my record.  
I didn't want to end up on the street, though. I needed to go to college so that I could make something of myself.  
I was certain Chapman hadn't been lying when he threatened he could mess up my record beyond any and all repair. There wasn't much he could destroy. That was all of what remained from my grade point average.  
Nonetheless I found myself walking into the library before 11:05. Despite the fact I didn't even want to do this.  
It's amazing what one little mistake can do to your whole life. I noticed a sign-in sheet on the librarian's desk.  
I scribbled my name in rough, distracted cursive. I doubted it was legible to any human on the planet.  
I went through the rows of books, through the groups of studying kids, like they were water. I slammed my backpack, which I hadn't even bothered to take off this whole day, next to me as I sat down in a chair.  
All of the students at GWHS had a personal account in the school database. We would login with our student ID number and our password was a combination of our initials and our birthdate. I pulled out my ID card and typed.

Login: 082838  
Password: ai021782

I was in. I glanced around me and found that this area of the library was secluded for the most part. Perfect.  
I messed around inside the computer's C:\ drive and hacked away until I reached the student profiles.  
For the record, the passwords were so easy to crack that it disturbs me. Any bored delinquent could've done what I just accomplished. I could but hope no bored delinquent would happen to find _my_ profile.  
I looked through the list of profiles until I found one familiar name. I opened up the file called "Avan".  
Up popped a window. There were some basic stats, such as allergies and contact information.  
There was also some other interesting information. It looked like this Tobias kid had no parents, he lived with an uncle. _Kind of like me._ I thought, but I tried not to dwell on it. I felt guilty enough as is.  
I didn't find anything to suggest why Tobias would have had a blackout on any of his medical records.  
There was a mention of his fainting episode, but it was listed as _cause unknown_. I almost stopped my info search, though, the moment I came across his picture. Something about it familiar, but I had no idea why.  
I saved the profile to my own account and searched for the name "Branch".  
Cassie Branch was a normal girl from everything I'd seen. Aside from an unexplained fainting episode, there was nothing unusual about her. Two living parents, no odd family arrangement. No scars on her record.  
Her picture, too, frightened me with its familiarity. It felt even more familiar, I think, than Tobias's.  
I also saved Cassie's profile to my account and decided to refresh the computer for good measure before I logged off. I glanced at my watch and noticed I had about five minutes of my lunch period left, so I began to wolf down my sandwich, glad that there could be no way for the librarian to ever see me eating in the library.  
"You know, I wouldn't recommend that." Or perhaps the librarian had found me. I swallowed my hunk of sandwich.  
I looked up to see not a librarian, but a regular high schooler. He was dressed in baggy clothes and his hair was a messy mop of dark blonde. I almost choked on my sandwich.  
This boy was Tobias Avan.  
Tobias sat down by the next computer and swiveled his chair around to face me. He pointed at my sandwich.  
"If Mrs. Burnnet finds you eating that, you'll be dead before you can say sorry." Tobias told me.  
"Ah." Was my reply as I swallowed down the last bit of my sandwich. I came close to choking myself but I didn't notice it, I admit. "Thanks for the tip." I said when the remains of the sandwich were down my esophagus.  
Tobias smiled. "It's no problem." He said, then he turned a speculative eye at me. "You're Ax Isthil, aren't you?"  
It was on instinct that I scooted my chair back, away from Tobias. "Yes, I am." I said. "How did you know?"  
"Let's just say I have no life and leave it at that." Tobias said, a meek laugh escaping from his mouth.  
I laughed back but I knew that Tobias could have had the fullest social life possible at our age and still have heard of me. After all, it was hard not to hear of an orphaned delinquent genius coming into your neighborhood, like it or not. It had been when I was ten, not long after I'd left the Owens. I'd always been very good with computers and I wanted to test my skills. It was an innocent thing, I'd meant no harm by it. I'd never expected it to work.  
I had hacked into top-secret governmental files at ten years old. That was the event that killed my chance of ever getting a clean plate from the buffet, so to speak. Being labeled as a dangerous hacker is frowned upon.  
"What are you here for?" I asked Tobias. Not a tactful question at all, but I wanted to know.  
The look in Tobias's eyes bothered me. It intrigued and repelled me at the same time. "I want to talk." He said.  
I blinked and found myself scooting my chair back to its original position, closer to Tobias. "Talk?" I asked.  
"Yeah, if that's all right with you." Tobias said. "I have Algebra next period, so I can skip that. Our teacher's kind of senile. She doesn't notice the way half our class takes hour-long bathroom breaks."  
"I have gym next period." I said, wondering what in the world was possessing me to tell Tobias this.  
"Carl or Derricks?" Tobias asked. I noticed he shuddered a bit when he mentioned Carl, whoever that was.  
"Derricks." I told the strange blonde boy in front of me. Tobias nodded, more to himself than to me.  
"Okay." He said. "See you next period, then." The bell rang and the two of us took off in separate directions.  
Tobias, I assumed, went to his Algebra class. I went to go look at the school map again so that I could find the gym. It also gave me something to do aside from dwelling over the guilt I felt for breaking into Tobias's profile.  
However, I was still going to give Chapman my information.

~~~~~

Just so that everyone knows, I am not a large fan of gym. Though if it's because of the fact that I have to wear a shirt and shorts that were once white and are now an odd shade of yellow, or if it's because of my slight fear that a lot of the coaches are spending too much time looking at me, I'm not certain.  
I got dressed quicker than I had for a long time. I know it sounds stupid, but I was eager to see if Tobias was here.  
Coach Derricks seemed surprised when he saw me leave the locker room. I think it was because I was the first boy out of there. Some of the girls were already sitting on the benches on the right side of room, waiting for the class period to start. I saw no sign of Tobias. Coach Derricks raised an eyebrow at me. "They snap you out?"  
I blinked, confused. "What do you mean?" I asked.  
"Snap you out." Coach Derricks repeated. "You know, towels? When you snap them and hit people?" He added.  
I think I understood what he was implying now. "No." I said. "They didn't touch me." I assured him.  
Coach Derricks gave a sigh of relief. "That's good. Most of the guys in here are thugs, and they love nothing more than fresh meat to harass. Now, you're Isthil, right?" He asked me. I nodded back up at him.  
"Okay." Coach Derricks said, taking a deep breath. "Can I please address you by your first name?" He asked.  
It was, without a doubt, not the first time I'd been asked that by a coach. "Of course." I told Coach Derricks.  
"That's a relief." Coach Derricks remarked. More kids were already filing into class, so I ran to be with them.  
More like I stood about two feet apart from the crowd, but no one cares about the particulars. The bell rang.  
Coach Derricks called roll. The whole class was here. Coach Derricks didn't take the trouble to introduce me to the class, which, after a whole day of introductions, I was very grateful for. Then Coach Derricks blew his whistle.  
"Listen up, ladies and rats!" Coach Derricks shouted. "Today we shall be playing a game of basketball."  
Coach Derrick was making certain all of his words came out slow and easy to understand, as if he was talking to a class full of babies. Judging from the grin on his face, though, I doubted Coach Derricks thought we were dumb.  
"Do you all know what basketball is?" Coach Derricks asked, his voice full of fake enthusiasm.  
"Coach, shut up already!" A short girl with brown hair shouted. "We all know how to play!"  
Coach Derricks coughed. "Well, let me rephrase that. Everyone but Miss Brown will be playing today." He said.  
The short brown girl gaped at Coach Derricks in disbelief. I have to admit, I found it all very amusing.  
"Now, I'm going to split you all up into two teams. Miss Brown, don't sit on the bench, I was joking." Derricks said.  
Miss Brown, sulking like a kid denied a piece of candy, went back with the group. Coach Derricks then counted all of us off. I happened to land myself on team two. Whether it was intentional or not, I noticed most of the muscle-challenged students seemed to be in team two. It was right where I belonged.  
Coach Derricks then went into the storage unit in the back of the room and returned with a beaten basketball.  
The class had already gone into formation. Coach Derricks stepped into the middle of the court, in between a tall redheaded boy and a blue-haired girl. "When I throw this ball in the air, the game begins." Coach Derricks said.  
We all followed the Coach's gaze as he noticed two boys at the open door of the gymnasium.  
One of them I recognized in an instant. That one was Tobias Avan. The other was an unknown to me.  
He was short and somewhat tanned. His hair was either black or a very dark brown, much like his eyes.  
Seeing him, I had the same feeling I'd gotten when I saw Tobias and Cassie's pictures. It was as if I knew him.  
Coach Derricks sighed and handed the basketball to the blue-haired girl. She looked at it, full of confusion.  
"Do you think he wants me to play?" She whispered. The class all shrugged, none of us had any idea.  
"What are you boys doing in here?" Coach Derricks asked. His voice was filled with irritated, rough steel.  
Tobias was the one to offer an explanation. "We're in Mrs. Walsh's class. Is it okay if we watch the game?"  
Coach Derricks sighed and looked over Tobias and the Unknown Kid. "I guess, as long you don't tell anyone."  
Then he turned back to us, as Tobias and the other guy sat on the benches to watch. "Play!" Coach Derricks said.  
The blue-haired girl threw the ball up in a panic. The redheaded boy caught it and threw it to a blonde girl.  
The girl caught the ball and started running towards our team's basket.  
Tobias and the Other Guy were talking. I could make out bits and pieces of their conversation, if just by a hair.  
"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Other Guy asked.  
"Because you and I are the only ones to remember the sixth kid, don't you remember?" Tobias inquired.  
The Other Guy laughed. "We all remembered a sixth kid, you know. Not just me, and you, kind of."  
Tobias sighed. He seemed exasperated. "I know you think I'm nuts but I swear I remember this guy."  
My veins filled with ice as I watched the blonde girl transfer the ball to Miss Brown. They were talking about me.  
"Doesn't he look familiar to you?" Tobias asked. I felt doubts crawling in my mind as I recalled that both of them had seemed familiar to me. We'd never met, though. Well, not the Other Guy and I, at least. Tobias didn't quite count anyway, since we just met in the library. That wasn't much of an introduction anyway. Even if, thanks to his personal record, there was a good chance I knew more about Tobias than the guy he was talking to.  
I had gone stiff with shock. Miss Brown was zooming towards me, ball in her hands, ready to shoot.  
"Hey, new guy!" All of team two screamed. That put me back in reality. I turned towards Miss Brown and I tapped her on the hands just a bit. It was enough to make her drop the ball. I grabbed it and threw it in the air.  
The Other Guy gave his answer to Tobias. "No." He said. His voice was clipped and sharp.  
I had a very distinct feeling that he was lying through his teeth. Much like, I feared, I might be lying to myself.  
Tobias groaned. "You can't be serious." He said. Then the Other Guy just laughed. "He kind of looks like a girl."  
I turned to glare at him. Tobias elbowed him. "Marco, I'm being serious, you prick!" Tobias shouted.  
"So am I." Marco said. It was right then, right there, that I decided I did not like that guy.  
I turned back to the game. Everyone on the court was gaping at me, even Coach Derricks.  
"Ax, do you have any idea what you just did?" Coach Derricks asked, his voice coming out slow. Maybe scared.  
"No." I said, feeling myself step back without knowing why. "What did I do?"  
"You just got the ball in the basket, boy." Coach Derricks said, then inhaled. "From the other side of the court."  
"Okay, a girl who can play b-ball." Marco added. I suppose Tobias elbowed him again because I heard a shout of pain, and I hope I didn't imagine it. As it was, I was a bit too absorbed in Coach's Derricks words to check.  
Shooting from the other side of the court and getting the shot? That was something only pros could do, and lucky-beyond-belief-pros at that. Add that to the fact that, before this day, I'd never been very good at basketball.  
"I did?" I asked, still in shock. Coach Derricks blew his whistle. "Class dismissed!" He shouted.  
I'm not sure if he knew there was still thirty minutes of class left. The class didn't care anyway, they were all heading to the locker room. As for myself, I didn't move. Coach Derricks was staring at me like I was an alien.  
"Ax, I don't think you know this, but I'm also the coach for Boys Varsity Basketball." Coach Derricks told me.  
No, I hadn't known that, Coach Derricks was right. "Um, you are?" I asked. Coach Derricks nodded.  
"I'd like it if you showed up at practice tomorrow. It'll start at 4:30." Coach Derricks said.  
"Okay." I said before I even so much as thought about what in the world I was agreeing into. "I'll be there."  
Coach Derricks smiled. "Good." He said. "Go ahead and get dressed, then go talk to your buddies over there."  
He was pointing at Tobias and Marco. I thought of telling Coach Derricks that they weren't friends of mine, but that just brought forth too many complications. Call me crazy but I didn't want to explain why they'd come to see me.  
I changed back into my regular clothes about as quick as I'd changed out of them earlier. Most of the kids were now lazing about the gym, gossiping and talking, doing their homework, or shooting hoops.  
Tobias and Marco both stood up and without a single word, I followed them into the hall.

As irony would have it, the hall happened to be very bright. Not dark and full of gloom, as the situation was.  
Both Marco and Tobias looked down the halls for any sign of people. The hall was empty, besides the three of us.  
Satisfied, Marco and Tobias walked down to the end of the hall, about as far from the gym as they could get.  
It was Marco who spoke first. "What do you remember?" He whispered. I guess my confusion showed, because then Marco turned to Tobias and laughed. "You sure he's one of us?" Marco asked. "Doesn't look like it."  
Tobias looked at me, frowning. "It's possible that he hasn't remembered anything yet." He said.  
I felt an enormous feeling sweep over me and carry me away. The feeling I felt was fear. A fear of the truth.  
"What haven't I remembered?" I asked Tobias and Marco, challenging them both to give me an answer.  
Marco threw his hands up in the air, a plea to his innocence. "Don't ask me, I'm humoring the crazy man." He said.  
Tobias glared at Marco and then took a step toward me. I could tell he was trying to disarm me, trying to calm me down. The odd thing was that, unlike with Chapman's attempts at this goal, Tobias was succeeding.  
"It's like this." Tobias said, still edging towards me. "Marco and I, along with three other kids, Cassie Branch, Rachel Berenson, and Jake Berenson; have been having odd flashbacks." Tobias sighed as he continued.  
"These flashbacks, we're not sure what they're of. In mine, these weird bladed aliens were chasing me. Marco here claims that in his flashback, all six of us were animals. Rachel remembers herself being a cat, and I as a bird. Jake's flashback is about his brother Tom. We think there's something up with him." Tobias said.  
I think it was a miracle I didn't start screaming at them. It was crazy talk! I mean this in the least stuck-up way possible, but I'm a genius and I'd never heard of incidents were people turned into animals. Yes, there was more than a scientific possibility there is life on other planets, but none of it has ever visited our dear Planet Earth.  
The thing was that, even as I denied the possibility of one single word that had come from Tobias's lips was true, some part of me was fighting that belief. Some part of me was trying to tell me that my logic was wrong this time.  
I knew, deep in my heart, Tobias was not lying to me. He _did_ have flashbacks, and they _were_ real events. Or at the very least, they had been real events. However, I could not, I would not, believe that.  
"I know Cassie Branch." I halfway lied. Reading through her profile had given me quite a bit of info about her.  
Tobias was looking at me, surprised by my comment. I continued on speaking now that I had his attention.  
"Cassie," I said. "Is not the kind of girl to believe in aliens and start going on a wild goose chase."  
"Yeah, well, I'm not a goose-chasing man myself." Marco said, his voice sharp and cold. "But here I am."  
He walked about up to me until we were but a few inches apart. "Believe it or not, I know the feeling." He said.  
"You don't want to believe a word of what he's saying, do you?" Marco asked. I didn't give him an answer.  
He kept on with the cross-examination anyway. "You're frightened. Scared to death that it's all true."  
"Well, guess what?" Marco asked. "So are the rest of us, but we're not going to run from the truth."  
I took a step forward. If it weren't for the fact that the gym was less than ten feet away from us, I might've hit him.  
His allegation, combined with Chapman's manipulation, was about the limit of what I could take.  
Perhaps because part of me couldn't deny that he, too, was right. And it was the last thing I would ever admit.  
"I never did mention what Cassie's flashback was." Tobias said, his voice quiet. We both looked at him.  
I was beyond grateful that Tobias had interrupted. I didn't need another mark on my record, after all.  
"She remembered all of us, except you, Ax, at the construction site. The one near the mall. You might've seen it. Cassie thinks that's where most of us met. She says that she," Tobias then paused and gulped.  
Tobias's voice came out on the verge of tears for some reason. "She saw _him_."  
I think I stopped breathing. I know I must've turned to run, because Tobias had taken a hold of my arm.  
He was concerned, I could see it in his eyes. I didn't care. I didn't want to see it. "You're crazy." I hissed.  
"Ax--" Tobais started, but I pulled my arm out of his grip, sending him into stunned silence.  
"You're crazy, both of you!" I shouted. "I don't know what you think, but you expect me to believe that a bunch of kids are having flashbacks with aliens in them? That they're fainting for no reason?" I accused.  
I saw a flicker of surprise in Marco's eyes as I mentioned the fainting, but I ignored it and went on with my ranting.  
"You're expecting me, a certified genius, thank you very much, to expect that all of this is _real_?" I asked.  
"Yes." Tobias said, his voice almost mute. I think that's when I started running from them.  
Running from the truth that I couldn't even yet grasp, even if I had wanted to. It was all too much.

~~~~~

The day went on like most of the morning had, introduction, pretend to pay attention in class, then leave.  
To my utmost horror, I found that Marco was in my Algebra class. And thanks to the fact that the seating arrangement was in alphabetical order, we were also sitting next to each other.  
I believe his words, upon this event, were "Oh dear god, why me?" I share the sentiments.  
We spoke nothing of what had happened in the hallway. I have a feeling that we wouldn't have even if I hadn't ran.  
Loren drove me to her home. I lied and told her I'd had a wonderful day, and I mentioned the invitation to afternoon practice that Coach Derricks had given me. Loren agreed to take me, and also took me to a seafood joint to celebrate. I have to admit, I hadn't expected that. Loren was being much nicer to me than most parents I'd had.  
I'm not sure what the problem with me is, but every single family I've ever had doesn't like me. Not meaning to boast or anything, but maybe it's because I'm a genius. I remember when one of my first families, the Owens, took me in for IQ tests after I built myself a computer out of various kitchen appliances. I never got the test results and the Owens had decided they just could not take care of me. Not that I was all that bothered by it, the Owens were pretty much huge snobs and their real kids were brats. It's more or less been the same with each family since.  
It was nice to have a nice foster family for a change. In particular after everything that had happened today.  
Loren also bought me a basketball to practice with, and a small net to put in my room.  
I was dribbling the ball, and I took my shot when something outside the window caught my eye.  
It was a shooting star.

**__**

Flash!

I turned my stalk eyes away from the battle, towards the blue planet's dead moon. It was there that I saw it.  
A black shape against the gray-white light of the moon. The shape of a twisted battle-ax.  
Blade Ship...A Visser's Blade Ship! I whispered.  
Our fighters, they were all away. Our Dome ship had massive weapons, but the Blade ship was fast and maneuverable. Too fast!  
For the warriors on the battle bride, there had been no choice. They had to separate the dome in order to fight.  
I felt a grinding, crunching sensation as the dome was released to drift free. Then, there was the silence.  
The all-consuming silence as the dome floated free.  
In a slow movement, the rest of my ship rotated into sight. Without the dome, it resembled a long stick, with the huge bulge of engines on the far end, and the smaller bulge of the Battle Bridge in the middle.  
  
The Blade Ship fired!  
NO! I screamed.  
Dracon beams, their light bright as a sun, ran throughout space. Again and again the ship kept firing.  
There was an explosion of light, a silent explosion like that of a sun going nova.  
The ship, my ship, blew up into its separate atoms. In a huge flash of light, a hundred Andalite warriors died. 

The last thing I saw was the ball going through the net as I passed out on the carpet.

* * *

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Dear Ladies and Two-Headed Mammals =P (Reviewer Response) 

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Angelofcloud9 - I'm glad you liked it! And, um, thanks again on the compliment. Gah, I need to get back to writing my own original stuff. I have all these ideas, but they don't seem to work when I write them. I'm thinking of doing a love story between a girl vampire and the boy vamp-hunter sent after her at the moment. Which is odd because I'm not very big into the whole vampire thing. So it's either that or try another sci-fi story. I like doing those. Gonna shut up about that now, since it's just a bit off-topic. Gahhh, and thanks for your offer. As for the R/M/T thing, you guess right. Well, for the most part. At this point, the bird _is_ jumping to conclusions, but in the future? **whistles innocently** And I shall write more!

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Neri - Rach and Tobias with a bunch of kids and arguing over TV shows? Um...maybe. It's a possibility. I think I should keep my mouth shut on where I'm going with R/T, though. Augh! Dude! I totally forgot about him! Don't worry, he should show up in Tobi's next chap...and I have no idea what happened to him in the books. Does anybody know?

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Stormwing - Whoa, double review! Cool, now my fic looks more popular than it really is. =P Okay, I guess the chapter didn't totally suck and this one was a lot easier to write. Well, kinda. I had to get a grip on Ax's character and that was a little hard. And I think that Cassie should be next, the Ellimist won't be showing his ugly mug 'til the end of this first part. Nope, there isn't a Harry Potter character in this one, but there is a Buffy character. Is that okay?

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Lisa-Ann - ...will fix typos...don't want brats upon me...actually, mwahaha! You think brats frighten me? I have a six year old sister! =P Gah, what's up with the formatting? If you mean the way the titles have this odd habit of being centered and then not centered, well, I don't know why that is. My current belief is that my copy of Word is possessed. Glad you liked Tobias!

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Lavenderangel - Woohoo, I hooked somebody! By the way, is there something wrong with me if I find your idea of flashback-stricken married Cassie intriguing? I don't mind long reviews if you don't mind long replies. So, here we go! Foremost, Tap-Tap is just a nickname. I was kind of too lazy to come up with a real name for the guy. And for the record, you are the only person so far to notice that Andy and Tap-Tap are yeerks. Good for you! Glad you like Cassie fic, she is still kind of this story's main character. Ah, yes, and everybody is of sophomore age. Thanks for reminding me, though, since I was going to write them as freshman at first -- I need to change all that stuff to sophmore junk. As for the bio project, yeah, they'd probably be doing something advanced. The only thing is that I got the crappy Biology class where we did no labs, so I thought it'd be safer to write about something I did in seventh-grade than to try and fake that I know a single thing about, say, dissecting a cat. As for Rachel and Melissa, well, we'll see. Jake has a changed home life, yes. And there should be plenty of J/C down the road, even if they take longer to develop than R/T will. And Jake crying? There'll be that, too. I hate to say it, but there will be a triangle -- for the first part of the fic, anyway. I myself am not such a huge R/M fan, either, but on the bright side...he won't like her the whole fic and the two will end up very good friends. At this point, though, Tobias is just jumping to conclusions. Poor baby. And I've kind of had my share of experience writing Marco's POV. Tobias's flashback is from Book #1, the scene where everyone is trying to outrun the Hork-Bajir at the construction site. As for the early-series flashbacks, yes, they're on purpose. Mostly because most of the books I have are early series. Um, don't worry about your tact, I'm not offended and thank you. Glad someone liked the nurse! Oh, and the "new kid" was Ax. You were the only person to catch that, bravo!

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Alikat - Sorry you missed Marco, and now you know how they found Ax! ...so to speak, anyway.

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Oedipal Kat - Don't worry about the nitpicks, I need to be kept on my toes. Thanks, actually, I need to go fix most of that. Note to self: Check after-effects of evil spellchecker. I should have the mistakes fixed by Monday, thank you! Very, very glad you like the fic and I hope it doesn't end up dissapointing!

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Puar Briefs - Speaking of DBZ, I love Gohan. =P Woohoo, I have the right to use the name Avan! **cheers** Yeah, I suppose these chaps do come out quick enough...but I could be quicker. I'm kind of lazy about them. Oh, and Tobias will be thinking quite a bit about aliens. As will Ax, as a matter of fact. I like your idea of the Rachel/Marco flashback. Could I use it? Oh, and I hope you liked Ax's chapter...and as for my home life, yeah, I try not to pay that much attention to it. Besides, I've got a group of loving, supportive friends, so it balances out. Yay. Ooh, morphing powers...

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Moon*wolf - Glad you like, and it will be T/R. But I'm not saying anything else about that. Woohoo, I'm on a favorites list! I think this requires a celebration. =P **gives Moon*wolf a bag of Rachel and Tobias plushies**

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2146875465468 - I'm glad you liked the Elfangor reference, and there'll be plenty 'o angst when Tobias remembers his daddy.

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HoneyB - Okay, the chapter didn't suck. I think I'll have to stop saying that now, 'cuz you guys are all gonna kill me. Thanks for correcting me! I have to go make Jordan thirteen now. And being obbsessed w/Animorphs is a good thing!

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Freak Apple - Whoa, pixie stix! Gimme some! Glad you liked the chapter, and interesting theory about Ax. Hmmm...oh my god! I just realized he didn't have any cinnabuns this chapter! I'm gonna have to make him eat a ton next time!

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Doctor Strangelove - Did ya catch this Buffy ref in this chap? Go like you some Tobias, Tobias is good. And the R/M thing...is good, and in progress. And once again, I admit defeat and admit this chap didn't suck. Oh, and Ax is here! Yay! Yeah, Marco's life is going to be hard enough, no need to add another Controller parent. Gah, "Check Mate". I liked it, but it scared me. Almost as your fic. **glares** I'm all in favor of Jake getting his testicles ripped out by wolves now, BTW. Wow, I just thought of something very sad...what if you'd thrown in a scene with the REAL Ax, afterwards, as a wolf and Jake happened to leave a lingering scent, and...you know what? I need to stop hitting the Willow/Oz sites, even if they have an odd ability to inspire M/A fics. As for "The Pack", keep in mind I'm still catching up in the eps! Though "The Pack" creeps me out more than it scares me...I mean, kids eating their principal is never going to be a pretty thing. Unless it's Chapman.


	8. Chapter Seven: Cassie

Author's Note: Woohoo! Only one Ax fan insinuated my doom! ...I think that's a good thing. Is it a good thing?  
Anyway, I'm going to do something shocking and reveal something: Yes, Mrs. Smith is _that_ Loren.  
As for her and Tobias, I'm keeping the lid closed tight on that subject. I meant to have this done by Wednesday, but now I'm getting pretty involved in starting a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) at my school. I'm so thrilled!  
I really, really hope none of our potential members get in trouble because of this. But also, I had me some writer's block. It's cured now, though. Yipee!  
Oh, and points to anybody who can guess the meanings in Cassie's dream. Pay attention to the colors.

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends." - Czech Proverb 

* * *

**Chapter Seven  
-Cassie- **

My name is Cassie Branch.

And my life has been turned upside down.

It all started when this jerk, named Andy, called me something I won't repeat. If you have a burning desire to know, I'll give you a hint: I'm a black girl. I'm not a very violent person, but I slapped him.  
That was what triggered my first flashback, my memory of turning into a polar bear. And yes, you read that right.  
You must be thinking that I'm crazy. I can't that assessment is wrong, but if I am insane, I'm not the only one.  
There's four other kids like me. One of them is Rachel Berenson, former queen of the GWHS Prep Squad.  
Another one is Tobias Avan, a shy guy who's a friend of Rachel's. I could be reading into things, but I think Tobias might be crushing on Rachel. Also in our posse in Marco Jones, a witty guy who's known for cracking jokes.  
Then there's Jake Berenson, Rachel's cousin. He's a big guy. A serious guy. A cute guy. Of course, I've only known him for two days. It's not like I'm going to ask him out or anything.

"What are you thinking about?" I look up from my library book, _A Study of Skunks_, to Rachel's face.  
Rachel is a beautiful person. She looks like one of those tall, blonde supermodels. In fact, I could see her modeling someday, if that's what she ever decides to do. I bet she'd be wonderful at it.  
The two of us are friends now, and believe me, no one's more surprised by it than the two of us. I mean, you have me, the vet-in-training that comes to school half-covered in bird excess everyday and then there's Rachel.  
We couldn't be more opposite, but Rachel was the first person I ever told about my flashbacks. I guess that created a kind of bond between the two of us. What's weird is that I feel that bond has always been there, it's just now that Rachel and I have discovered it. Which could be true, since we _were_ best friends.  
Best friends in a life I don't even remember.  
"I'm not thinking about anything." I told Rachel.  
She looked at me, hands on her hips, both amused and disbelieving. "Yeah, right." She said.  
"I'm _not_." I protested, wilting under Rachel's eyes. I knew she'd seen through me.  
"I bet it's a guy." Rachel teased, now grinning at me.   
"I'm not thinking about a guy." I said, my voice rising.  
"Oh, so you're thinking about a girl?" Rachel deadpanned. I almost dropped my books. "No!" I shouted.  
Rachel started laughing. "You're so easy." She said, her body still shaking with the chuckles.  
I glared at her. Rachel waved her hand to fend me off. "It's adorable." She said.  
She composed herself a few moments later then turned to me, one hundred percent serious.

"Of course." Rachel said. "If you ever _do_ have a guy to talk about, I'm here."  
I smiled. "Thanks, Rach." I said.  
"It's no big deal." Rachel said as I went into French.  
I watched as Rachel then sprinted to class, trying to outrun the bell before she was late.  
Maybe, just maybe, I'd tell her the next time I was thinking about Jake.

French went by quick enough. The seconds melded into minutes, the minutes melded into the block of time before the bell rang. Before I knew, I found myself out of the halls and in my third period English class.  
My English teacher, a young little woman with dark blonde hair and eyes that were a hazel kind of blue, looked up at me when I walked into class. I was the first one there, which was kind of normal, to tell you the truth.  
Teacher adjusted her glasses and pushed them back onto the bridge of her nose. "Hello, Cassie." She said.  
I smiled back at her. "Hello, Ms. McLay." I said, picking up the bell work from the desk Ms. McLay had put in the front of the room. Then I sat in my seat and went to working on the bell work, which was vocabulary, as I waited for class to begin. A few minutes passed and the rest of the class filtered into the room and the bell rang.  
I tucked my half-finished vocabulary sheet into my English binder and faced Ms. McLay, who was looking at us.  
"Today we're beginning our unit on _Antigone_." Ms. McLay started. Half the class groaned.  
"Now, I'm going to call roll, then we'll all fly off to the library. Class? Don't forget your ID Cards." Ms. McLay said.  
I felt around in my back pocket as Ms. McLay called roll. Most of the time, that's where I kept my ID Card.  
Except this time it was nowhere to be found. I tried not to panic as I checked the other pockets of my overalls, searching for a tiny piece of plastic. There was nothing at all. Oh god, what was I going to do?  
"Everybody ready?" Ms. McLay asked. The whole class nodded and got up, slinging their backpacks over their shoulders and tucking their binders and folders underneath or in their arms. I dragged myself up from my seat, ready to warn Ms. McLay that I couldn't check out any books today because I was card-less. I was the last to leave the class except for Ms. McLay, who walked behind me.  
"Cassie," she said, "Your reports are always very good, you know. I hope you won't disappoint me."  
After that I lost my nerve to tell I'd lost my ID Card somewhere.  
When we arrived in the library there was a surprise awaiting us. The surprise of Mrs. Reid's History Class.  
Ms. McLay bit her lip and went pass me to the librarian. Our class stood there, confused and shellshocked, unable to sit because Mrs. Reid's class had taken up the majority of seats inside the library. Some kids took off their backpacks and put their stuff down, and shoved it away behind them. I looked around the room, myself.  
I noticed two boys sniffing around in the Encyclopedias. One of them was a tall, big white guy with brown hair.  
The other guy was short and tanned and his hair was dark. Jake and Marco!

"I reserved the library for my classes today, Melinda." Ms. McLay said, leaning her tiny body over the desk.  
"Mrs. Reid got here first." The librarian, Melinda I guess, replied in an apathetic tone.  
"I had the library reserved two days in advance!" Ms. McLay said, her voice rising a few decibels.  
"I told you Mrs. Reid got here first, Tara." Melinda repeated. "So the library's hers. Sorry." She added.  
Ms. McLay sighed and got off the desk. "So much for reservations." She muttered. Then she faced the class.  
"Okay, I know I told you all to bring your notecards today, but it seems you won't be needing them." She said.  
I noticed Ms. McLay give the librarian Melinda a slight glare. "So just go and check out some books."  
The class dispersed themselves then. I took _A Study of Skunks_ out of my backpack and dropped it into the Return Slot underneath the librarian's desk. Mom had asked me to check it out to see if there was anything in it that could help with this sick skunk that we'd found at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. There wasn't much.  
Then I headed over to the History & Reference section. I wanted to see if there were any books there about Sophocles, the man who had written _Antigone_. I like to include information about the author in my book reports. It didn't have a thing to do with the fact that Jake and Marco were hanging out there, I swear to you.  
I scoured the shelves for any books whose titles began with an "S". As I traced my finger along the spines, someone bumped into me. The person, who I noticed was wearing battered sneakers, just caught their balance.  
"Jake, you should apologize to the young lady. No one likes being tripped over." That was Marco's voice.  
"You'd know, wouldn't you?" Jake retorted. Then to my surprise, he kneeled down. We were face-to-face.  
Both of us blushed, I think. "Um, I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?" Jake asked. He was so cute when he blushed.  
"No, I'm fine." I said, and got up off the ground. Jake stood up a second after me. We both smiled at each other.  
_Jake has a nice smile._ I thought to myself. I think I blushed more. There was an awkward silence between the three of us -- Marco, Jake, and me. In the end, it was Marco who spoke up.  
"What're you looking for? I mean, isn't Ms. McLay an English teacher? Why are you in the History section?"  
I turned to look at Marco; kind of glad I had an excuse not to look at Jake. "I like to study the authors, too." I said.  
Marco raised an eyebrow. "You, madam, are a freak." He stated. Jake gave him a playful punch on the arm.  
"Ow! What was that for?" Marco yelped, glaring at Jake. Jake gave Marco a Look. "That was rude." He said.  
"So is punching me." Marco muttered as he rubbed the spot where Jake had hit him.  
I hid my smile with my hand. Marco scowled at me, but I don't think he was serious. Jake was trying not to laugh.  
"Anyway," I said. "I'm looking for a book on Sophocles. If you gentlemen will excuse me?" I asked.  
Marco and Jake both stepped aside as I went back to searching the shelves for Sophocles.  
That went on for about two or three minutes. None of us spoke as went down the shelves looking for our books.

"Hey, I found one!" Jake shouted.  
Half the people in the library must've glared at him, because he went to whispering.  
"You found something about Sacagawea?" Marco whispered.  
"No, but I did find _Sophocles and His Works._" Jake whispered back. I got up off the library's carpet.  
"Could I have that?" I asked Jake and then I remembered something. I couldn't check out the book anyway.  
Jake handed it to me. It was a small blue book, not very long. "Nevermind, I can't." I said.  
Jake looked at me, confused. "Why not?" He asked. I might've been imaging it, but he almost sounded hurt.  
"I," I said, then I paused, feeling like a dork. "I left my ID Card at home. I can't check out anything." I said.  
"Oh." Jake said, sounding dejected. Then his eyes lit up as he pulled out a small piece of plastic from his pocket.  
"You can borrow mine." Jake said, giving me his ID Card. "Just, you know, give it back." He added with a smile.  
Feeling kind of embarrassed; I flashed Jake a quick smile. "Thanks." I whispered. He just shrugged. It was cute.  
I then headed off to the checkout counter. The kid working there didn't even notice the ID couldn't be mine even in a strange, exotic world. He just scanned it through and handed me the book and the card.  
I took them and turned around to see Jake and Marco filing in line with their class. I just stood there like a dork, too surprised to try and say, catch up with Jake so that I could give him his card back.  
Thank God we had lunch together.

~~~~~

Our school's cafeteria is, in a word, pandemonium. Maybe it comes from the fact that we're a sort-of-big-ish high school, or maybe our students are just crazy. I'm not all that sure. Either way I had decided that I was going to wait for Rachel until the madness calmed down. Assuming, of course, that was possible.  
It was looking less and less possible each and every second. More kids were leaving and entering the cafeteria, random bits of food were showing up on the floors, and there was no Rachel in sight.  
_Maybe she's with the others._ I thought. So I set my eyes upon the cafeteria, looking for a hint of my new friends. It took me a while to see them, but I ended up finding them a small round table in the back of the cafeteria.  
It looked like Jake and Marco were joking about something. Tobias sat next to Rachel, discomfort all over his face and intensifying with every little jab Rachel added to Marco and Jake's discussion. I blushed to myself again as I remembered that I still had Jake's ID Card with me. It was then that I decided to join them all at the table.  
After all, I had to give Jake his card back, didn't I? We had no other classes together, so this was the best time.  
I started walking over to the table where my friends sat but the crashing sound of something hitting against metal jolted me away from my purpose. I jumped up and locked my eyes on a boy. He was tall, but shorter than Jake.  
His hair was a dark brown, a shade or two lighter than Marco's almost-black locks. His eyes were a dark blue.  
For some reason those eyes made me think of Rachel. They also made think there was something familiar about this guy. Maybe something _too_ familiar. The boy was looking at me now, his face sheepish.

"Sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just this machine is, well, not cooperating." He added.  
I looked at the machine in question. It was a new machine the school had bought just a few weeks ago, but it was already known as "The Clunker" because it was a piece of junk. Only the very lucky could get food from it.  
A point in case being the cinnamon bun stuck in slot. I guessed that was this boy's lunch for the day.  
"It's all right." I said to the kid, giving him a reassuring smile. "This machine doesn't work for anyone."  
"Oh." The boy said. He was, well, I don't want to say that he was checking me out because I don't think it was quite like that, but he was studying me. It caused me to feel very nervous. I was about to say something to him when he spoke. It surprised me how awkward, how uncertain his voice sounded. "Well, can you help me?" He asked.  
I blinked at him. I felt confused and a little bit afraid, considering his eyes were still studying me. "What?" I asked.  
"Help me." The boy repeated. He gestured at The Clunker. "We could both shove against one side of the machine and see if perhaps our combined velocity would release the cinnamon bun from the slot." He added.  
"Um, okay." I agreed, not at all certain if I understood what the boy was asking me to do.  
The boy smiled. Again, I was struck with the odd feeling that I had to have at least _seen_ him somewhere before.  
"All right." The boy said. "I'll stand on the right side of the machine and you stand on the left. When I count to three, we both slam our body weight against the machine and see if we can release the cinnamon bun." He instructed.  
So I did as told, feeling that I didn't have that much choice in the matter. "One, two, three!" The boy shouted.  
At the same moment we both slammed into the right and left sides of The Clunker. Both a little shook, perhaps, but no worse for the wear. The boy and I walked up to the machine to see that the cinnamon bun was free.

"All right!" The guy enthused, shooting his hand into the vending machine and pulling out the cinnamon bun.  
I watched, surprised and more than a bit disgusted, as the guy snarfed most of the cinnamon bun down in a bite.  
"I take it you were hungry?" I asked the guy. He nodded as he swallowed down his hunk of pastry.  
Then I asked my next question; one I had to know ever since I laid eyes on this boy. "Do I know you?" I asked him.  
It was automatic the way he seemed to pull away from me, if just a little bit. "I don't think so." He said. "I'm new."  
"Are you sure?" I asked the boy. "I mean, maybe I'm mistaking you for someone else, but..."  
"I doubt it." The boy cut me off, still holding a little less than half his cinnamon bun. Then he smirked, kind of.  
"I wouldn't worry about it. Even if we did know each other, it couldn't have been very well." He said.  
I frowned at the tall boy. "What makes you say that?" I asked him, curious to know what he meant.  
"Just a feeling I have." The boy whispered. His eyes and expression had become almost unreadable.  
I think that was what did it for me. I don't like seeing people miserable, in particular if they're all by themselves.  
I like to help people out. Call it a virtue or a vice, but it's the truth. And I had a feeling this guy could use it.  
"Do you want to meet my friends?" I asked the boy. He stared at me, his eyes reflecting shock and reluctance.  
"Why are you suggesting that?" The boy asked, stepping away from me. I hadn't meant to alarm him.  
I gave him my widest smile and looked him straight in the eyes. "Because you seem lonely." I said.  
He gaped at me, emotions escalating through his face. "Um." He said. That was all he could say.  
I waited a moment before I did anything. Before I said anything. "Uh, do you want to meet them?" I asked.  
The boy took in a deep breath and then smiled at me. "Yes, I would like that." He said.  
I smiled back at the boy. "All right, then. But first, what's your name?" I asked him.  
"Ax." He said. "Ax Isthil."  
"Okay." I said. "Let's go meet my friends, Ax."  
So then Ax and I went off to the lunch table for what would our first, but not last, meeting.

When Ax and I got to the table, Rachel was the first to notice us. "Who's the guy, Cassie?" She asked.  
In an instant, Jake, Marco and Tobias's heads all snapped up to see Ax and I standing at the table.  
Jake adopted Rachel's confused look while Tobias saw Ax and almost seemed to wince a little.  
Marco, however, was the one that surprised me the most. His eyes grew dark and refused to leave Ax.  
Without a doubt, I had missed something. I looked over at Ax, who just looked nervous and scared.  
"My name is Ax Isthil." Ax said, leaning over the table to shake both Jake and Rachel's hands. I noticed that neither Tobias nor Marco made any effort to shake Ax's hand. Tobias didn't even look at him, and I wished Marco would stop doing just that. I pulled up a chair for Ax and he sat down, still trying to keep far from the table.  
"So you guys know each other?" I asked, looking at Tobias, Marco and a very tense Ax.  
Marco's laugh was quiet. "You could say that." He said. Tobias didn't even look up.  
"Well, I'm going to go get a bite to eat." I said, pulling away from the table. "Don't get in any fights while I'm gone."  
I went through the lunch line and came back a minute or two later with a glass of water and what I was hoping was a Caesar Salad. I don't have an unwavering trust in the school's cafeteria food, call me nutty.  
Things had gotten a little better since I'd left. Ax and Jake were talking. Tobias was jumping into the conversation along with Rachel. Marco's glower seemed to have gotten worse by some maniacal twist of fate.  
I made certain to sit beside Marco so that perhaps he'd stop his evil glare for at least one second. I could hope.  
"It sounds like you've all been suffering some kind of selective amnesia." Ax commented, now chewing on what I guessed was part of the remains of his cinnamon bun. "Sia." He added before he swallowed down his bite.  
I guess he must've noticed the weird looks we were all giving him because he looked at the table, embarrassed.  
"Sorry." He said. "I do that sometimes, when I get a little hyper."  
Marco raised his eyebrows, mockery filling every note of his voice. "Cinnamon buns make you hyper?" He asked.  
"Sometimes." Ax answered, and then he went back to looking at Jake. "You say all five of you had flashbacks?"  
"Yes." Jake said. "They all seem to be tied in with each other, too. Like, I don't know, reincarnation, maybe."  
"Except that doesn't fit, since we're all still ourselves in the memories." Tobias added in. Ax looked surprised.  
Then the shock seemed to have faded from his eyes. "Then it couldn't be reincarnation." He said.  
I noticed he seemed to be saying it more to himself than the rest of us. Only Marco seemed to have noticed, too.  
Two of us then shared a Look, but we said nothing. "Not to mention we don't remember dying." Rachel said.  
"Like I said, selective amnesia." Ax said, putting the last chunk of his cinnamon bun down on the table.  
"Which means what in English?" Marco asked. It was rather obvious Ax's scientific talk was irritating him.  
"Meaning that all five of you have repressed, or in other words forced your minds to forget, the memory of these flashbacks you are all now remembering. It's a common reaction to traumatic events." Ax explained.  
"So what you're saying is that we just up and forgot everything?" Tobias asked, voice filled with doubt and shock.  
Ax picked up his cinnamon bun again. "It seems like it." He said. Then he took another bite. "Eeems. Seems."  
"Thank you for that piece of wisdom, Mr. Stutters." Marco cracked. I elbowed him in the side.  
I had to admit, though, Marco making fun of Ax was a lot better than Marco shooting Ax glares of doom was. I think.  
Ax just gave Marco a sideways glare and said nothing. I decided to jump into the conversation myself.  
"So, aside from a guess, do we have any proof this is selective amnesia at work?" I asked. Everyone started.  
"I mean," I started, feeling my throat close up from nervousness. "I mean, are there any symptoms, maybe?"  
"It depends on the severity of the case." Ax said. "Of course, amnesia is hard to diagnose, considering the fact that, if the memory loss is caused by an emotional trigger, the person suffering may undergo confabulation."  
"Confa-what-in-english?" Rachel asked, looking up from her soda at Ax.  
"Um, stories. Making up stories to cover the memory loss." Ax explained, an almost panicked look in his face.  
"Could fainting be a possible symptom?" I asked Ax. He looked up at me, his face flushed pale. "Perhaps."  
I blinked, shocked by the way that Ax's face blanched. Something, I felt, was not right here. I just knew it.  
I picked up my half-eaten Caesar Salad and left the table. I walked off to the trashcans on the other side of the cafeteria and threw away my leafy greens. All of the sudden, I didn't feel much like eating. We had all figured that our memories seemed to have come from a past life, or at least something like that. But Ax's suggestions bothered me, I'll admit it. There was something very disturbing about the thought you'd repressed your whole life.  
If that was the truth, if I had forgotten everything, what did that mean about my life now? Was it all a fake?  
I wondered, which one was my real life? The happy life I thought I'd been living as a vet-to-be, or the life with aliens coming out of a spaceship? Or was it a mixture of both?  
_And do I want to know?_ I asked myself. I sighed and leaned up against the trashcan to keep my balance.  
I was crying and I had no idea why. I spent a few minutes doing just that as kids and teachers passed my by.  
I heard their footsteps coming towards me but it didn't connect with me until I felt Rachel hugging me.  
"Cassie, are you okay?" Rachel whispered. I nodded, tears still flowing from my eyes.  
"It's just a lot to take in." I whispered, my voice a little choked because of the tears.  
"Yeah." Jake agreed, his voice kind of quiet. For some reason, that just made me feel bubbly and warm inside.  
"At least you aren't facing it alone." Tobias said, smiling at me.  
Marco nodded in agreement, looking kind of embarrassed. "Yeah. Shocker of the century, we're here with you."  
Then I looked over at Ax. I hadn't even noticed he was with us until just then. He was standing off to the side.  
"I apologize." He said. "It seems that what I've said," Ax paused, trying of what to say, I guess. "It upset you."  
"Ax, there's no need--" I started, but he shook his head, cutting me off. "I'm sorry." He whispered.  
Then he looked me straight in the eyes. "Thank you, for inviting to me lunch today. I am sorry for what I said."  
Before any one of us could have stopped him, Ax walked off out of the cafeteria and went back in the building.

That was the end of our first meeting.

~~~~~

It happened during Algebra.

Rachel and I had been working on a worksheet together. Mr. Luke had paired us together, and I confess, we were a bit more focused on what had happened during lunch than we were on the assignment.  
"Do you think Ax could be the sixth kid?" Rachel asked me, making sure to keep her voice low.  
"What makes you think he would be?" I asked Rachel, once again struck by the feeling I'd missed something.  
"Tobias told me about him in Biology. Jake had sent him and Marco to check him out and see if he was one of us yesterday. He says that Ax freaked, though Tobias thinks part of that might be Marco's fault." Rachel said.  
I looked up into Rachel's eyes. "Okay, now I'm confused. Explain." I said.  
"Well, you remember how Jake was talking about the sixth kid yesterday?" Rachel asked. I nodded.  
"And you remember how he decided Marco and Tobias should go find him, since they were the only ones to remember a sixth kid very well?" Rachel asked me, and I nodded again to press her on.  
"So remember how Tobias had gone to the library to see if anyone there was the sixth kid?" Rachel asked.  
"Yes, I remember." I said, looking up to notice Mr. Luke staring at Rachel and I.  
We did our work for a couple of minutes until Rachel began quizzing me again.  
"That's where Tobias met Ax." Rachel said, and I looked up at her, surprised. "He said he seemed familiar."  
I nodded. "Yeah, I got that feeling too, when I first saw him." I admitted. "I got that feeling with you and Tobias, too."  
"What, you didn't get that feeling with Jake?" Rachel asked, her voice both teasing and curious.  
I started. "What?" I asked.  
Rachel shook her head, a tiny, mischievous little smile on her lips. "Oh, nothing." She said.  
I scowled at her and bent my head back down to my work. "So, Marco and Tobias interrogated Ax?" I asked.  
Rachel nodded. "Yeah. Tobias thinks Marco went a bit overboard, though. Says Ax looked ready to hit him."  
I gaped up at Rachel. "You're serious? Ax didn't seem like a violent guy to me." I said.  
"Me either." Rachel said, scribbling down an answer. "Marco must've been an asshole."  
"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised." I said, then I looked at Rachel. "But Ax never said he was one of us, did he?"  
Rachel shook her head. "No. Not when Tobias and Marco were after him, or at lunch today, but I don't know..."  
"It _feels_ like he's one of us, doesn't it?" I asked Rachel and she gave me a slow nod in reply.  
After that, we didn't say anything about Ax. Rachel and I just worked on our Algebra assignment in silence.  
Until about halfway through the period, that is.

"Cassie Branch." A voice said over the PA system. "Cassie Branch, report to the principal's office."

The whole class stared at me, including Mr. Luke and Rachel. I didn't know what to say, I had no idea what any of this was about. I gathered up my books and put them in my backpack, waved goodbye to Rachel, and left.  
I won't lie, I was worried and just a little bit afraid. This Monday, the day that I hit Andy, I had gone to the principal. I'd been face-to-face with Mr. Hendrick Chapman and I didn't like it. He worried me, a lot.  
First off, he'd been too friendly. He'd insisted I called him by his first name, he gave me too much leeway for what I'd done. Something about the whole incident had been wrong and I don't think I've ever been more glad to leave a place as I was the moment I had left Hendrick Chapman's office that Monday.  
As I was walking to down the halls to the office something almost slipped out of my binder. I caught it just in time.  
It was the card Chapman had given me. A small, plain white card with the words **THE SHARING **on it.**  
**As I got nearer and nearer to the office, I kept remembering bits and pieces of my last meeting with Chapman.  
In particular the violent migraine he'd had before I left his office. Call it paranoia, but I felt there was something off with that migraine. Maybe something off with Hendrick Chapman in general.**  
**_Cassie, cut it out._I chided myself as I got to the door of Chapman's office. I twisted the doorknob**.  
**_You sound like a conspiracy theorist._I walked into Principal Chapman's office.**  
**Mr. Chapman was the only person there, besides me of course. He was sitting in his chair, looking at me.  
"Hello, Cassie." He said, a wide but insincere smile covering his face. It sent chills down my spine.  
Mr. Chapman gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat, you're welcome here." He told me.  
So I sat down as far from him as the chairs could let me manage. Mr. Chapman smiled again, his eyes bright.  
"I bet you're wondering what this is all about, aren't you?" He asked me, and I nodded. I was quite confused.  
"Well, first things first, I wanted to thank you." Mr. Chapman said, and I felt more confused than ever.  
"You've been quite influential in helping Mr. Brewson and some of his friends 'come around', as I believe you put it this Monday. They've become valuable assets to the cause, thanks to you." Mr. Chapman said.  
"The cause?" I asked. Something about the phrase sent a shiver of fear through my body.  
"Oh!" Mr. Chapman said, his face tense with surprise, but then it relaxed. "The cause of a more opened mind."  
"You're saying that my slapping him caused them to be more open-minded?" I asked Chapman, shocked.  
Mr. Chapman nodded. "Yes it has, believe it or not. I wanted to thank you for that, Miss. Branch." He said.  
Then Hendrick Chapman's voice grew quiet and soft. "I also have something else I'd like to inquire about."  
Feeling a wave of doubt crash through me, I asked "What do you want to know, Mr. Chapman?"  
Mr. Chapman smiled again. "Hendrick, remember?" He said. "And I've heard something interesting about you."  
Hendrick Chapman kept on talking before I even had a chance to ask him what he was babbling about.  
"I've heard, from another student, that you've experienced an odd fainting spell. Is this true?" Chapman asked.  
I was too shocked by the question to lie. "Yes, it is true." I said.  
Chapman shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and then looked at me again. "I see." He said, soft but strong.  
"Is there--have you been having any problems at home, Cassie?" Mr. Chapman asked. "Is everything okay?"  
Was Chapman insinuating my parents beat me or something? "Everything's fine!" I protested.  
"Lower your voice, please. I didn't mean to startle you. Now, is that the truth? Is everything fine?" He asked.  
"Of course it is." I said. Chapman was unaware that I was gritting my teeth. "My parents don't mistreat me."  
"All right, then. Is there anyone at school, then? No one's harassing you?" Chapman inquired.  
_Except for you, no._ I thought to myself. "No one's harassing me." I said. Chapman's eyes glinted.  
"So then what in the world could cause a healthy young woman such as yourself to faint for no reason?" He asked.  
I got up from my seat then. "I don't think I want to answer your questions, Mr. Chapman." I said.  
Mr. Chapman glared at me. I almost jumped when he did. There was something dangerous in that glare.  
"Whatever you choose, Miss Branch." He said. "Do you still have that card I gave you?" He asked.  
Why in the world was he asking about a card? "You mean the white one?" I asked.  
Chapman nodded. "Yes, that one. Maybe we can talk about this at The Sharing. I think the place would suit you."  
"I'm not so sure it would." I said, slamming the office door behind me.

~~~~~

I didn't tell Rachel about what happened, even though she tried her hardest to pry it out of me.  
The last thing I wanted was for Chapman to start going after any more of us.  
I didn't mention it to my parents, either. Not that they asked, of course. I mean, what kind of parent suspects their child is getting harassed by the school principal? They did ask how my day went, and I told them it was okay.  
Which wasn't a total lie. It had been nice hanging out with Jake and Marco at the library, after all.  
Then I went up to my room to start working on my book report for English. That, and look after my newest patient.  
She was a little tiny mother skunk. I suspect that she might've gotten into a fight with a nasty dog.  
We have no idea what happened to her babies, either. I'd been keeping her in a cage on my dresser, next to my bed. Lucky for me, Mama Skunk didn't seem to want much of my attention at night.  
As I looked at the cute little skunk in my room, it came to me.

**__**

Flash!

"Well, this is more than slightly insane." Marco said. "We're going to raise little skunk babies."

I sat down on my bed, hard. Another flashback! This one hadn't caused me to faint, though.  
Then again, it didn't answer any other questions I might've had, like what was the identity of the sixth kid.  
I shook my mind to clear away the flashback and I pulled something out of overall pocket. Jake's ID Card.  
With everything that had happened at lunch today, I'd forgotten to give it back to him. I'd have to, tomorrow.  
I looked at it, holding the card up in front of me. There was a picture of Jake, smiling, on the left side.  
It was a good picture, or at least I think so. Now that I thought about, Jake didn't seem to smile all that much.  
Which was a pity, since he had a nice smile. Of course, there was other information on the card. It read**:**

George Washington High School Student ID  
Jake Berenson  
Grade: 10  
DOB: 01/14/82  
Number: 011121

I put the card next to the Mama Skunk's cage and then I lay down to do research for my book report.  
It was about three hours later, I think, when I fell asleep.

~~~~~

I was running in a field, but this was unlike any field I had ever seen in my life. The grass was blue.  
If it wasn't for the individual stalks of grass I would've thought I was running in a deep ocean.

The field seemed to stretch on and on forever. There were no people in sight. I kept on wandering.  
I walked past fields of blue flowers -- bluebonnets, blue lilies, blue tulips and odd enough, blue roses.  
I walked and ran for what had to have been miles. In the end, I was too exhausted to go on. I was lost in a world of blue. I sat down in the middle of the blue grass next to a long, tall and strong brown tree.  
The red sun began beaming down on me, filling my body with a comforting warmth. From the tree popped out a bright orange all of the sudden. I seized the fruit and began unpeeling it, already feeling much better.  
Beneath me appeared a blanket covered in a black and light blue checkered pattern. I lay down on it and rested.  
After I had finished my orange, I fell asleep now sated, comforted, shaded and warm.

I was awoken a moment or two later by something rubbing its furry nose against mine.  
When I opened my eyes, I was face-to-face with a large gray wolf. I backed away and the wolf walked closer.  
The wolf went underneath my arm and rubbed against me. My fingers trembling, I began to pet its fur.  
That was when I noticed the chain of small, pale green jades around its neck. They were connected to something.  
With one of my hands petting the wolf's back, I picked up the jade chain. In the middle hung a small blue box.  
The wolf then stood up again. I knew at that moment what it wanted me to do.  
I packed up my blanket and the other orange and stick that seemed to have fell on it while I petted the wolf.  
I put it all in a white bag, which I then loaded onto my back. Then I got on the wolf and we began to run.  
The sun seemed to run with the wolf and I as we sped through the blue field. The contents of my bag stayed put.  
I had no idea where the wolf was taking me, I just knew that I had to go. It was that or something much worse.  
As we rode, my overalls began changing until they formed a dark green, silken dress fitted to my body.  
My shoes faded away to reveal my bare feet. The muck and grime on my skin went away as well.  
The only thing that I had kept was the white bag. And the sun, I suppose, considering it was still with me.  
The wind began blowing hard as the wolf kept running across the field. The sky grew dark and filled with clouds.  
By some strange miracle, however, the sun had stayed put. Its red glow was like a horrible omen against the sky.  
I almost fell off the wolf as it stopped running. I looked up and found that we were in front of an enormous beehive.

Two bees flew out of the hive! These, however, were no ordinary bees. They were the size of torpedoes.  
They also had human faces mixed in with the features of a bee. I recognized them both in an instant.  
The bees were Mr. Chapman and his daughter, Melissa. They knocked me off of the wolf and onto the grass.  
My bag ripped apart and out flew the blanket, the orange and the stick. The sun stopped moving.  
Then a miracle occurred. They all transformed.  
In their place were a tiger, a gorilla, a grizzly bear, a hawk and something not unlike the alien in my flashback.  
As I lay there watching on the ground in the dark (the sun had transformed, after all) they, and the wolf, charged.  
They began attacking the beehive with everything they had. I shut my eyes.  
Then I heard it. A voice, loud but not unkind, amused but serious, familiar yet strange, speaking to me.

****

USE YOUR STRENGTHS, ISMENE.

Then I woke up.

~~~~~

It was the dream that convinced me, the image of Mr. Chapman as a bee. I wasn't going to be knocked down.  
I wasn't going to let him harass me, or have the chance to do so to my friends.

Tomorrow, I was going to The Sharing.

* * *

****

Oh, Minions! =) (Reviewer Response)

Neri - Um, Ax and Tobias as brothers? Uh, well, um...I can't tell you. **hides** You'll just have to see.  
I can tell you why Tobi isn't living with Loren, though -- she doesn't remember him. At all. And, sorry, Elfangor's dead and he's looking to stay that way. I'm sorry. Nope, Tobias isn't leader. The whole "go interrogate Ax" thing was Jake's plan. The bird may be a bit more assertive here, but Jake's still the one in command.  
And Ax has no idea about his middle name. Or even that's he's an Andalite. Um, until he remember a little of it last chapter, anway. But it's still gonna be a long way off before he finds out everything. Gah! I thought I fixed the Champ/golden retriever thing! I have to go fix that now! And Rachel will live, don't worry. So will Tobias, for that matter. I'm not going to kill off any of the Animorphs. Um "-chan" is a prefix used for someone either younger than you, or that you either add to the name of a female friend or your lover, male or female. It's just something a lot of anime fans throw into their nicknames. It doesn't really signify all that much. And the story of Jinako is a long one, but here we go. It's the name of the first character I ever made up. Her name was Jinako Aino and she was supposed to be the daughter of Minako Aino, Sailor Venus. And guess who Jinako was? That's right, Sailor Sun! Oh, my early, early days of fic-writing...when I made it up, I didn't know Jinako meant anything, but according to my Japanese dictionary, it's something like "Character (as in the letter kind) Child", and I liked that.  
I used the name first in the Sailor Moon community I hung around with (in fact, Jinako shows up in Sailor Dishwashers, which I can give more info on later) and the name stuck. I also go by felinephoenix around the 'net. You know, I really hope the Chee like cats 'cuz I like the Chee, but I have to kill anyone who hates cats. =P

****

DJ Eagel - It's okay, I don't care how late it is as long as you review! And the Ellimist is responsible for Ax's human-ness. Though he is a lot like he would be as a human nothlit -- not 100% percent, though, mind you. And, um, thanks! I wasn't sure I wrote Ax all that great. David Schmidt is cool, I wanna see him sometime! Yay, I'm on another favorite list! Par-TAY! And Ax's flashback is from the start of book 8.

Lavendarangel - Glad you liked the chapter, and Ax. He's kind of, like, a more serious Ax. I think.  
And Mrs. Smith is the Loren we all know and love, but I'm not saying anything about her and her son. Oooh, and nice scene. I may have to twist some of that to fit into this fic...hmm. Yay, and I'm on another list! Double Par-TAY!  
And here's a bag of Cassie and Jake plushies for you. **hands them to Lavenderangel** And I updated soonish, does that count?

****

Stormwing - Sorry, no insane cinnamon bun rampage. Yet. Wow, I'm starting to think I should get a nickel every time someone compares this to MM4...anyway, I'm glad you like the difference and I liked MM4 a lot, too.  
And Ax's parents didn't abandon him, they don't remember him. Elfangor is probably the only one who did.

****

Puar Briefs - I'm in love with Gohan. =P Everybody seems to be taking the Ax/Loren thing in stride, I'm really glad you guys all like it. And, yep, Ax 'tis |_33+. Actually, you might expect random leet from him, just to warn everybody. Hm, interesting thing about someone calling him "Ax-man". I'm thinking Tobias or Marco should do it. Probably Tobias, considering. Yeah, Marco is pretty dark, isn't he? I always did think he could actually get pretty damn scary if something bothered him enough, but maybe that's just me. I think I should try to make him a little more, say, sarcastic when he's pissed, though. And are you suggesting I sic the Drode on Tobias, or on Toomin?  
Ax will be privvy to a hyped-up scene one of these days. I'm just gonna have to figure out when to write it.  
And I liked your poems! Woohoo, thanks for the usage of suggestions! **cheers**

****

EsotericEric - I'm glad you liked the fic so far, and I hope the next chapters don't dissapoint!

HoneyB - Nope, Loren isn't a Controller. She just isn't suspicious of the school principal.  
And I wish you the best of luck with your charity effort, that's just freaking cool!

****

Lisa-Ann - Eeek, so many brats. The horribleness...I pity you now. **pats Lisa-Ann on the back**  
Ax as a human, yes, was part of the Ellimist's attempt to make a happy life for his favorite morphing people.  
Of course, now we can see how well _that_ worked out, but yes, the Ellimist planned Ax's human-ness.  
And I think the formatting is a little better in this chapter. You're right about the others, I'd been so wrapped up in writing them I hadn't even noticed. @_@ Eyes bleeding...and a next chapter should be soonish, God willing!

****

Doctor Strangelove - Put down that meat cleaver or I'll never have a chance to redeem myself.  
And yes, I admit Ax was, um, different...but don't kill me yet. He's going to mellow out and be more like himself as the story goes on. Not like certain short people have anything to do with that, though. **winks** Besides, I'd say he does have some pretty good reasons to be cynical in this fic. Wow, you're right. Ax's story _is_ Hackers-ish. I didn't even catch that until now. **feels stupid** And things on the M/A front will get less, er, frightening as the story progresses. Rachel has a lot to do with it.  
Jake/wolves is good. Especially if it leads to him getting his testicles getting torn out by Ax-wolf, Cassie-wolf and Marco-wolf, and yes, I am jonesing for Jake to get some punishment. A lot of it, actually. I'm officially a fan of Willow/whoever's making her happy at the moment, but my favorites are Willow/Oz and Willow/Tara. Or Willow/Tara/Oz, but I'm odd like that. I'm not sure what it is with these blue-haired girls, must be something wrong with the cloning machine. And of course the M/A "explanation" thing was great. I think you should write more.  
Oh, and if you didn't get this chap's Buffy ref, I'm smacking you silly with a smelly tuna.

****

Freak Apple - Yep, Ax is a human. I'd suggest picking up your jaw before any flies get in. =P  
He'll still get hyper around food, but not to quite the degree he did before, and it wears off if he gets depressed.  
And yep, his foster mom is the Loren we all love and, um, well...I've never met anyone who hates Loren. Have you? And Ax'll get his fill of cinnamon buns, but I don't think I should make him a float. That could go bad.  
Gah! I updated, you can breathe now! And I like THE ISLAND, it's cool!


	9. Chapter Eight: Jake

Author's Note: I'm sixteen now! It's weird! Okay, so I've been 16 for a week now, but...  
As for Cassie's dream, a lot of it was foreshadowing much of this chapter. And Freak Apple, for guessing a part of the dream right, you get a puppy! Or a kitty! Or a ferret! Or all three, if you desire.  
And a request -- if you could, please mosey on down to www.fictionpress.net and review my new story, Project Olympian. I'll warn everyone now though, it's pretty heavy. Not gonna be a happy story, at least not at first.  
But please review it? As a birthday present? =P  
Okay, about Cassie's French/English switch, I apologize and I've fixed it. I'm going to try and make sure it never happens again. And in this fic anyway, I'm having Jake and Rachel be related through their mothers. Why? I'm going with the theory that both of them are Jewish, and if so, the relationship must be matriarchal. I happen to know this from experience because while my Dad, whose mother is Jewish, is considered a Jew; I'm not considered as such because my mother is a non-religious plebeian. Evil, evil, evil lineage.  
I HATE my period because I'm having it TWICE in the SAME month. Sorry to all my male readers for that. =P

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear." -Mark Twain (1835 - 1910) 

* * *

**Chapter Seven  
-Jake- **My name is Jake. 

And my life has gone from normal to beyond all possible weirdness.

I guess it all started with my brother Tom, kind of. I'd been hanging out at the mall with my friends when he'd shown up to give me some news I never even saw coming. What was this news, you ask?  
My parents are getting divorced. I'll tell you the truth; I'm still kind of shocked about this. They always seemed like they were happy with each other, and I never did hear them getting into any arguments. It's weird, to tell the truth.  
Then again, I never noticed the way my parents never talked to each other anymore. Just like they were tonight.

My family was eating dinner. Steak and salad with extra tension and a side of mashed potatoes or corn.  
Tom wiped his mouth with his napkin. As I sat there watching my older brother, I fought an urge to shiver.  
You see, things have been weird with my brother as of late. Tom, the same Tom who wanted to be a pro basketball player ever since he was a kid, gave up the varsity team. Tom's been getting real into this new club called The Sharing, which gives me the willies. I don't know why, either. The Sharing _is_ pretty cool.  
It's kind of like a Boys and Girls club for every kind of person on the planet. Harmless, right?  
I thought so, too, until the moment my brother went into a seizure when we went to visit.  
Add that to a flashback I had warning me about my own brother, and maybe you can see why I feel nervous.  
Oh, and you did read that right. I had a flashback, but not to any part of my life that I can recall.  
I don't think I'm crazy, though. Or if I am, there are four other crazy people on the ride to insanity with me.  
One of them is my cousin Rachel, who looks like a cover model but acts like Joan of Arc minus the army.  
Another one is Marco Jones. He's a cool guy and he likes to crack jokes. I have my doubts on his sanity, though, since he's convinced that Spidey is a match for Superman. The two of us were best buds in our flashbacks.  
Then there's Tobias Avan; a dreamy kind of kid who gets bullied a lot. I have to admit; I don't know him that well.  
The last member of our Circus of Crazies is Cassie Branch. I think Cassie is one of those people that can catch all the things between the lines, or at least, that's the feeling I get when I'm around her. I don't mind, though.  
Out of all of us, Cassie is the one who remembers the most about our flashbacks. I kind of wish she didn't.  
Because she remembers a spaceship, getting chased by bladed monsters, and some kind of an alien.  
She described it as "kind of cute, except for the tail" and "like a furry blue deer-scorpion-thing that could talk".  
What none of my friends know is that I remember something like that, too. Except what I remember isn't "kind of cute". It's more like "kind of terrifying". I haven't told anyone, though. Not Rachel, not Marco, and not Cassie.  
I've only told Rachel sketchy details of what happened to Tom that night. She hasn't come to our house since.  
I almost told Marco everything. I would have; too, if it wasn't for my suspicions that whatever is wrong with Tom also extends to Marco's mother. His dead mother, by the way. Neither one of us has mentioned the whole thing since.  
I've thought about telling Cassie, which I know is kind of weird since I've only known her for about a week.  
It feels like I can trust her with this, though. Like I can trust her not to tell the others if I ask her not to. It feels like Cassie might understand why I haven't mentioned it, which is because, to be honest, I'm afraid to.

I'd have to give it some thought.

"So Tom," My dad said as he cut into his steak, "How was school today?"  
Tom swallowed down a piece of steak. It seemed so normal, so regular. It wasn't. "School was good." Tom said.  
My dad laughed. "School was good? Come on, you can tell me a little more than that." He said.  
"Maybe he doesn't want to, Steve." My mother said her voice cutting through the air like a knife.  
My dad glared up at her. "Maybe it's none of your business, Jean." He said.  
"Are you suggesting my children's lives aren't any of my business?" My mother asked, outraged.  
"No, of course not." My Dad said his voice meek and quiet.

We ate in silence until the end of our meal. Then I went up to my room to play video games.  
Video Games provided a good distraction. They were a good way to keep my mind off the question bugging me.

__

When had my parents gotten so bad, and how could I have not noticed?

I went through my stack of CDs and cartridges quick, just switching from one game to another, sometimes from one system to another, in mere minutes. I couldn't keep my concentration, but maybe that was just because my heart wasn't in it at all. It was about half an hour later that I heard the soft, pleading rapping at my door.  
Just asking to be let in.  
Tom.  
The first time, I didn't reply. Or the second. I guess that saying about how "the third time is always the charm" is right, though, since that was when I got off my butt and opened the door to my big brother.  
Or maybe I'd just gotten tired of the knocking. I think it was a mix of both, if you ask me.  
"Can I come in?" Tom asked as he breezed past my doorway into my room. I just rolled my eyes. That's Tom for you.  
Tom closed and then locked the door behind him. It was odd since Tom wasn't the kind of guy that tended to lock doors. I mean, he's not some paranoid freak who jumps at everything. He's a normal guy who doesn't lock a door.  
Unless he needs to.  
"I need to talk to you, Midget." Tom said, using his old nickname for me. It'd been a while since I'd heard it.  
Just for your info, it's a bit of inside joke between us. I'm pretty big for my age, almost as tall as Tom. Almost.  
Tom flopped himself down on my bed right above the Shrine of Games and Dirty Clothes. I stayed standing up next to the door, studying my brother. He looked distracted and nervous. Worry was written all over his face.  
"Jake." He said. My brother's voice was soft and kind of sad. I wasn't used to hearing it that way; Tom's an upbeat guy on the whole. He's not a total goofball but he isn't morose and Mr. Serious. Sometimes I wish I was more like Tom. No, scratch that. I've always wanted to be more like Tom, but then again, who could blame me? Sure, it's all hero-worship but compared to me, Tom's like some kind of demigod. He's great at basketball and okay in school.  
The girls like my brother and, hey, he isn't stuck having weird flashbacks.  
But now I knew a part of my world was crashing down. My image of my perfect brother was being shattered just by the tone in his voice. That was the first time that I noticed it, though: my brother wasn't perfect. He got sad, angry and confused. Just like me. He was only human.  
_You so sure of that?_ The voice in the back of my head asked, recalling The Sharing and Marco's warning.  
Those times were flukes. I mean, who could trust flashbacks? Tom was just Tom. It was that simple. Right?  
My brother's eyes turned to me, soulful and sad. They're a lot like my eyes, you know.  
"How are you feeling about all this? Mom and Dad, I mean?" he asked.  
I looked at him, stunned. I hadn't expected that and, to tell the truth, I wasn't all that sure if I wanted to answer.  
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know." I said, and as soon as the words left my mouth, I knew they were the truth. I mean, looking back on the past few years, the split-up kind of made sense.  
I could see sort of see how my parents had gotten unsatisfied with each other, but it was still a huge shock to me.  
"Our parents never even fought." I said to Tom. "I mean, it's all so weird. One day, I think they're a happy couple, but then? BAM! Divorce." I looked down at my carpet. When did it get so stained? "Just like Rachel's parents."  
I went over to the bed and sat next to Tom.

"Except there was more warning with Aunt Naomi and Uncle Dan." Tom said as he clasped his hands and put them underneath his head as he lay it down on my bed. Tom's face melted from sad to a look of amusement.  
Tom smiled. "Man, do you remember the fights they used to have?" He asked me.  
"Remember Grandma chasing Uncle Dan out with her broom?" I asked him.  
Tom and I busted out laughing so hard we could've busted a gut. We were remembering one Thanksgiving about seven years ago, not long before our aunt and uncle's divorce. Rachel and I had been eight, Tom was nine, and our cousin Jordan was six and our baby cousin Sarah was just about three. Aunt Naomi and Uncle Dan had gotten into a row over Naomi's cooking. Our Grandma got so mad at them she banished Aunt Naomi to the kitchen until she calmed down, and uncle Dan was forced to enjoy the backyard. And yes, forced by broomstick.  
"That was crazy, wasn't it?" Tom asked me, and I nodded in agreement.  
Then we both inhaled deep. "Hey, Tom? Who do you think we'll live with?" I asked.  
"We'll, we're both over fourteen so we can choose which parent to live with." Tom said, looking thoughtful.  
"I've never even thought about something like that." I said.  
"Neither have I." Tom said, his voice hushed. "I guess, for me, it depends on where Mom or Dad will live."  
I looked over at my brother, confused. "Why would that be so important?" I asked.  
Tom jerked in, I guess, surprise. Then he turned and smiled at me. "You know I want to go college here." He said.  
"Oh yeah." I laughed to hide my nervousness. "I'd forgotten." He said. The thing was, Tom's words made me feel weird. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that there was something my brother was hiding.  
Then Tom sat up. "Hey, I know something that'd cheer you up." He said, now getting off of my bed.  
"There's this new kid on our team. He's kind of weird, but I've never _seen_ anyone this good." Tom said.  
"Really?" I asked. "Who is this kid?"  
"Ax Ishtil." Tom said. I almost jumped, remembering the weird kid Cassie had brought to our lunch table yesterday. The kid Tobias and Marco had met.  
The one we all suspected was one of us. "Say what?" I asked.  
Tom laughed. "It's a weird name, isn't it? Well, he's a weird guy. I hear he's, like, a superhuman genius." He said.  
Tom's eyes seemed to glimmer with an idea. I almost asked him what he was thinking but the moment seemed to have passed. So I asked the other question that had been lingering deep in my mind.

"Hey, Tom?" I asked my brother. He looked back at me.  
"You know that night at The Sharing? The night you fainted?" I asked.  
"Yeah, and for the last time, would you stop bugging me about it?" He demanded.  
"This isn't about that." I said, finding my voice grow tired. Odd enough, it was a familiar feeling for me.  
"There was an old guy there. I think his name was Victor Trent. He took you to the hospital after you fainted. Tom, how do you know him?" I asked.  
Tom ran a hand through his hair and exhaled sharp. "He owns our chapter of The Sharing. Didn't I tell you?"  
I shook my head. "Nope." I said.  
"Oh, could've sworn I did. Oh well." said Tom, then he smiled.  
"I can take you to practice tomorrow if you want." Tom added, letting the invitation hang in the air.  
Then, before I could say a thing, he left my room and closed the door behind him. It was close to midnight that I got to sleep, thoughts of my brother's odd behavior filling my head.

~~~~~

That morning was when everything went into motion.  
It started out like most other days. Wake at some insane hour and go through the motions of eating, dressing and getting ready with a zombie-like grace. Followed by that heroic run to the bus because my brother was being a pill and refused to drive me like a responsible, caring, loving brother would.  
After that was the rip-roaring squeaky ride on the bus with odd, strange freshman and seniors who gave me dangerous looks. It was a slice of heaven compared to what was going to happen.  
The bus skidded to a stop in front of the school.  
As soon as I regained my balance, I walked out to meet up with Marco. It was kind of a ritual, I guess, that we'd developed in the past week. Meeting up with each other before school felt almost, well, natural.  
Like it was something I'd done my whole life, even though I hadn't. For a moment I wondered about the friendship we'd had in our flashbacks. We both remembered being best buds. I wonder how long we'd been that way?  
Maybe I'll never know. What matters more is the friendship Marco and I have now, am I right?  
At the moment Marco looked somewhere in between peeved and bothered. So did Rachel, who was next to him.  
I ran up to my once-best friend and my cousin. "What's up?" I asked them.  
Rachel was biting her lip. "Cassie hasn't shown up." Rachel spit out, worry lacing her voice.  
I almost felt my jaw hit the ground. "Say what?" I asked.  
"Most of the time, Cassie's here by now." Rachel said. "We hang out near the gym until the bell rings."  
"And Cassie's a no-show." Marco interjected.  
"Great." I hissed, feeling adrenaline pumping through my veins. "Well, I don't think we should panic yet." I said.  
I started pacing around as I explained myself to Rachel and Marco. "It's possible she's just late. I mean, maybe her parents were driving her to school and they got caught in traffic. Maybe Cassie's sick. There's no reason for us to go into full-blown panic mode. I mean, come on, this is California, New Jersey. What's to fear?" I asked.  
"The fact we live in New Jersey." Marco commented. I glared at him.  
"And we've been flashbacks where there's no doubt we have some enemies." Rachel added.  
Rachel's words stopped both me cold in my tracks. I felt a pang of guilt and familiar fear.  
Familiar fear for the suspicions I had that my own brother, Tom, was one of the "enemies" Rachel mentioned.  
I felt guilt because of the accusation I'd thrown at Marco. The accusation that maybe his dead mother was one of our "enemies" as well. I know it seems like a jump, but from what he'd told me about his own flashback, well...

I think I'm right.

I don't want to be, though. I hope to whatever powers that may be that I'm not right in the slightest.  
Because, if I am, then I can't even trust my own brother. Which is just great since I can't seem to trust my other family members to be honest enough to even get into an argument. And yeah, I am just a bit bitter.  
Marco laughed. I didn't like the sound of it; it was rough and bitter. Not like when we were joking around.  
"Yeah, Xena over here is right, Big Jake." Marco said, pointing at Rachel. Both Rachel and I stared at him.  
"Marco, what did you just call me?" Rachel asked.  
"I just called you Xena." Marco replied, looking kind of worried that Rachel might beat him up or something.  
"Heh, I like that." Rachel said with a wide grin spreading all over her face.  
I took a deep sigh then coughed. "Back to the topic at hand?" I implied to my two compatriots.  
Both Rachel and Marco looked embarrassed but gave me their full attention, so I went on with my plan.  
"Now, okay, Rachel's right. It is pretty clear that we had some kind of enemies in, well, whatever our flashbacks _are_. So it'd be a good idea for someone, in other words, Rachel, to check up on Cassie." I said.  
"Do you have any classes with her?" I asked Rachel, who shook her head.  
"No, but I walk with her after first period." Rachel said. "What if she's not there?" Rachel asked.  
"You could call her." Marco suggested, but Rachel shook her head. "Can't." She said. "I have gym after that."  
"Then I'll do it." I said. Both Rachel and Marco looked at me. I don't know what they were thinking. I'm not very good at reading people, but I think they were kind of suspicious of me right then. They didn't have any reason.

Okay, I'll tell the truth. I was worried about Cassie. I didn't know her very well; in fact, the longest conversation we'd had was over our book reports. Still, that didn't mean I wanted to see anything happen to her.  
I mean, I liked her. Not in a crush kind of way, I swear, but she hadn't been anything but nice around me. Most of the girls I know aren't like that; they're kind of rude to me. It comes from being "Tom's Cute Little Bro".  
Cassie didn't know I was the little brother to the former Basketball Star of GWHS and I don't think she would care even if she did know. It was a nice change. Besides, she and Rachel seemed to be turning into best friends.  
That's just my guess, though. If I'm bad at reading people, I'm horrendous at reading girls.  
Rachel was smiling at me. I'm not sure I want to know why. "Either of you boys have a pen?" Rachel asked.  
Marco pulled one out of his pocket and tossed it to Rachel. She caught it and then rummaged through her binder for a sheet of paper. She tore a sheet out of one of her spirals and wrote something on it real quick, folded it up, and then handed it to me. I took the sheet and unwrapped it while Rachel put everything back.  
It was Cassie's phone number and address. I looked up at my cousin, grateful. "Thanks, Rach." I said.  
Rachel shrugged. "No problem." She said with a smile. Then the bell rang and the three of us went inside.

I heard from Rachel about an hour later. She was running, which had a lot to do with the way her English class was at about a whole different side of the school from my Spanish class. Did I ever mention my cousin runs freakishly fast? Well, she does. However, even though she'd sprinted like a madman to reach me, my cousin's hair and makeup remained perfect. I don't know how she does that. It must be some weird female talent. I think it runs in our family because both my mom and Aunt Naomi seem to share this strange little trait.  
"Jake!" Rachel shouted, catching me by the arm. She pulled me away from the crowd of kids where'd I'd been and dragged me aside to the much safer end of the hall. She waited for the crowd to thin out before she talked.  
"I waited a minute for Cassie and she didn't show. She's not here, Jake." Rachel said, her voice grave.  
"We're near the pay-phones, I'll call her place." I said. Rachel's face seemed to relax and she sighed in relief.  
"Good." She said, but then her face grew disturbed. "I think I should tell you something first, Jake." Rachel said.  
My cousin exhaled in her anxiety and faced the brick wall near us while she talked to me.  
"I don't have any proof of this, but I think Mr. Chapman might be behind this." Rachel said with a sigh.  
"Mr. Chapman as in our-Principal slash Melissa's-Dad Mr. Chapman?" I asked. Rachel nodded.  
Melissa Chapman is Rachel's best friend. I kind of knew her on-and-off since we were kids. Not very well, of course, but I knew Melissa Chapman. We'd hung out more than a few times. I guess you'd call us close acquaintances. The two of us were never friends. I also knew Melissa's Dad, my principal, Mr. Chapman.  
"Melissa told me her Mom and Dad has been acting weird, kind of like they're robots or something. Then yesterday, in Algebra, Mr. Chapman called Cassie up to his office. She wouldn't tell me what happened but Cassie was upset, I could tell. I don't know what's up, but I'm worried." said Rachel.  
Rachel's words sent a shiver down my spine. Mr. Chapman had never seemed like a threat or anything but a good, if somewhat overbearing guy, but I'm not naive. I know good people can do horrible things behind closed doors. And if that was the case, then I didn't know what I'd do. Cassie and Melissa didn't deserve that.  
"Maybe he's one of _them_." Rachel said in a hushed whisper. It made me recall Marco's words to me.  
They were Marco's exact words about Tom. "God, I hope that's all." I said in a hushed voice. Rachel nodded.  
Right then, the bell rang. I jumped fifty feet in the air. "Oh crap! Mr. Snape is going to kill me!" I shouted.  
Rachel sent me a look of pity. "Coach Melody's gonna be mad, but all I'll get is lunch detention." She said, wincing.  
"I should just skip class and say I was sick. It's better than whatever Mr. Snape will come up with." I said.  
"Yeah, you're right." Rachel admitted, then waved. "I've gotta get to class. See ya!" She shouted as she ran off.  
There's a pay phone near the office and since I happened to be near it, I decided Biology could wait.  
I had $2.50 my parents had given me for lunch money. If worse came too worse, I could eat the terror that was the $1.50 school lunch. So I took Cassie's number out of my pocket and put fifty cents into the phone's coin slot.  
I dialed Cassie's number and waited for a response. I got Cassie's answering machine. I freaked and didn't leave a message, so I had to call again. This time I used my brain.  
"This is Jake Berenson." I said. "I'm a, uh, a friend of Cassie's from school. I'm calling to ask, um, if she could please give me my ID back, I kind of need it. Um, my phone number is 555-5432. Please call back." I said.  
That was when I did something stupid that I don't recommend to those of you at home.

Let's just say it's a good thing the halls were empty so no one noticed me ditching school.

~~~~~

I don't think there's ever been a time in my life I've ever wanted to be a bird more than I did that day.  
Not even when Tom was kicking my butt in Mortal Kombat 3. Or that time I peed my pants in kindergarten.  
I was feeling very cranky by the time I reached Cassie's barn. Yes, you read that right, I said barn.  
And did I mention I felt cranky? But walking for an hour through unholy hot weather can do that to a boy.  
My crankiness is the reason I started pounding on Cassie's door.  
I didn't expect her to open it.  
I stared at Cassie. Short little Cassie, still dressed in the overalls I'd seen her in yesterday. "Hi Jake." She said.  
"Uh, hi." I said. "Can I come in?" I asked.  
Cassie stepped to the side of the door and beckoned me in. So I went. Cassie motioned to the pale green couch in the living room and I sat. She sat down next to me without saying a single word.  
"I got your phone call." Cassie said. I stared at her in a mix of surprise and, I admit, outrage.  
"Then why didn't you answer?" I asked. Cassie frowned and looked down at the carpet.  
"I didn't want anyone to know about this." She said, her voice quiet. "I even fooled my parents, they think I'm sick."  
"Oh." I said. "Wait, what is 'this'?" I asked Cassie. She looked away from me.  
"I'm going to The Sharing today." She said.  
Then and there I started to panic, memories of my own visit to The Sharing flooding my mind.  
"What? When?" I asked, trying to keep myself under control.  
"Whenever they open." Cassie said.  
"You can't!" I shouted. Cassie started at me, confused and maybe a little afraid. "Why not, Jake?" She asked.  
"Because." I answered, feeling like an idiot. Then I screwed up my courage. I'd have to tell her the truth.  
No matter what Cassie might make of it. No matter what that would risk of her making of Tom.  
"Look, I went there earlier this week." I told Cassie. "I went with my brother Tom. We were going to, well, work out something. But then, Tom started...I thought he was having a heart attack, or maybe a seizure. It was like he was possessed. He told me to run. Run as far as I could from The Sharing." I told Cassie. She'd looked away.  
"Cassie?" I asked, trying to sound gentle. She turned back to me. I think there might've been tears in her eyes.  
"It's just like Mr. Chapman." Cassie said, looking both sad and bothered. Then she pulled something out of her breast pocket. A small tiny white card that was kind of like a business card. She handed it to me.  
It read THE SHARING  
.

"Mr. Chapman gave it to me the first time I was in his office." Cassie said.  
I just blinked. I hadn't known Cassie had been to the principal's office more than once.  
"Right before he gave it to me he started having what he called a migraine." Cassie told me, her brows creased.  
"But there was something fishy about it right from the start." Cassie said, frowning. Then she smiled at me.  
"Jake, I have your ID Card upstairs in my room. Do you want to go get it?" Cassie asked me.  
"Um, sure." I said as I got off the couch with Cassie. I looked up at her staircase. "Where's your room?" I asked.  
"It's the one on the far left." Cassie said. "You can go now if you want." She added with a smile.  
So I did. It wasn't until I was in Cassie's room (or what I think was her room, anyway) that I heard the door slam.  
I ran downstairs as fast as my legs would carry me.  
Only to find that Cassie took it upon herself to leave while I was upstairs.  
So I wrenched the door open, slammed it behind me, and ran after her. She didn't have much of a headstart.  
"Cassie!" I shouted, running to catch up with her. Cassie just sped up. I did the same, thanking God that I'd always been a good runner. In a blur of moments, I'd caught up with her. Much like Rachel had done, I grabbed Cassie by her arm and pulled her closer to me. I was determined that she'd listen to me.  
"Jake, let me go!" Cassie cried, pulling her arm away from mine. I winced at the anger in her eyes.  
"I'm not leaving until you listen to me." I said.  
To my surprise, Cassie didn't run off again. She stood there, not far from her barn, ready to listen to me.  
So I started talking. And asking questions. "Why are you doing this?" I asked Cassie.  
Cassie hesitated. "I," she faltered. "I have my reasons." Cassie said.  
"That's it?" I asked. "Look, I'm telling you that place is dangerous. You don't want to go!" I shouted.  
Cassie smiled at me. A meek, sad kind of smile that made my heart break. "You're right, I don't." She said.  
"I'm scared of that place but I'm also tired of Mr. Chapman harassing me." Cassie admitted.  
"And I don't want to see him start messing around with you guys, either." She added, looking at me.  
"But Cassie, that's crazy." I said. "What good would going here do to stop Mr. Chapman?" I asked her.  
"It'll get him to stop bugging me about going." Cassie fired back at me. I gave up on that. She had a point.  
"Still, you don't have to do this for the others or me. We don't even know each other!" I told Cassie.  
"You sure about that?" Cassie asked me with a sly smile. I just gaped at her. "Think about it." She added.  
"You and Marco only met a couple of days ago, right?" Cassie asked me. I nodded.  
"But it feels like you've known each other a lot longer, doesn't it?" Cassie asked me. I nodded in agreement.  
Cassie smiled. "It feels that way for me, too. Except, you know, with Rachel. No offense to Marco or anything but I don't feel half as close to him as I do to Rachel. But he seems like a good guy." She said with a shrug.  
"I know I sound crazy but this feels like something I need to do." Cassie told me, her voice soft.  
Even to this day I'm not sure what made me do it. Like I said earlier, I didn't want to see Cassie get into trouble.  
I'm not sure why, but the thought of her running into whatever was going on at The Sharing saddened me.  
I wanted to stop that from happening in whatever way I could, but it didn't seem like Cassie would budge.  
So I guess I did the next best thing. Maybe it was some of that feeling of familiarity influencing me.  
"I'll go with you." I said, feeling my face flush red when I looked at Cassie. "I don't want you go alone."  
Cassie smiled at me. "Thanks, Jake." She said. Then she hugged me, which was just embarrassing.

We went back to Cassie's house and grabbed some money. We also raided the phonebook for both the number and address to The Sharing. About four minutes later, we trekked out on our mission to infiltrate The Sharing.

~~~~~

Just so you know, we didn't walk. The public transportation system is wonderful if you're poor and need a ride.  
Cassie and I didn't talk much. We just told the bus driver we wanted to go to The Sharing and that was that.  
After that we just sat next to each other in silence.  
About halfway through the ride I found myself looking at Cassie. Her hands went from being clasped tight together to being wrung in worry and then the cycle repeated itself again. She was also taking deep breaths.  
She was also looking back at me.  
In a flash we both looked the other way, as far from each other as we could manage.  
Which was good since I didn't want Cassie to see me blushing.  
I occupied myself with thoughts of what would happen to us, or about talking to Cassie, but I didn't have the nerve.  
"Sharing. Anyone stopping at The Sharing?" asked the bus driver.  
Cassie and I got up and walked to the door of the bus. The driver turned to us with a Dad-like smile.  
"You take of yourselves, ya hear?" He demanded. We said we would.  
Then we were got off the bus and were left standing in front of a large building with these words on the front:

****

The Sharing - Building a Better Life

"They are open, right?" I asked Cassie as with both stood nervous and uncertain at the front.  
Cassie's brows creased. "They should be, the fliers say they open at 11:30." She said.  
I looked at Cassie. I had no clue what she was talking about. "What fliers?" I asked her.  
"You've never gotten one?" Cassie asked. I shook my head.  
"Everyone I know in The Sharing has a lifetime supply. They're all over town, too." Cassie informed me.  
It was not comforting information. For some reason the thought of fliers for The Sharing being plastered all over town sent me into a cold abyss of sadness and dread. Weird, I know, but it's what I felt.  
"I don't see any fliers." I said, looking around and back at the building. "Or any people, for that matter." I added.  
"That's odd." said Cassie. "I hear this place is always full of people."  
"Well, it is eleven-thirty, but my brother makes it out to be a party house." I joked. Cassie laughed.  
"So, do we knock or just let ourselves in?" I asked Cassie. She walked up to the door. It was unlocked.  
Cassie and I shared a Look. "I say we let ourselves in." I said.  
So I went up to the door and opened it, then pulled a fake bow.  
"You first, mademoiselle." I joked. Cassie giggled and we walked in.

The building looked the same as it did when I'd gone with Tom.  
Except for one exception: it was abandoned.  
"Where is everyone?" asked Cassie. "Shouldn't there at least be a secretary?"  
"I don't know." I said. "But there were a ton of people when I came."  
Cassie and I walked, alone, through The Sharing building. Black and white tile reflected from the floor. White walls with black trim on both bottom and top surrounded us. The silence could drive you mad.  
At least Cassie was there with me. It was a relief to not be alone.  
We crossed the lobby, or what I'm guessing was a lobby, and Cassie and I reached a hallway.  
The hall was a bit less unnerving than the lobby. Might've had something to do with the fact that the hall had carpet.  
"So why did you come here?" Cassie asked.  
"I thought we went over that, Madame Crusader." I said.  
Cassie shook her head. "No, you've said you went with your brother. Why did you go then?" She asked.  
I paused before answering. "Um, because." I muttered.  
Cassie gave me a disappointed look. "Oh, come on." She said. "You don't want to give me more explanation?"  
At first I wanted to tell her that no, I didn't want to get into any more detail. But I was going to have to admit it sooner or later, whether I liked it or not. Avoiding the truth wouldn't help. So I told Cassie.  
"My parents are getting a divorce." I said, my voice just above a whisper.  
Cassie looked at me, her face reflecting shock and pity. "Oh, Jake." She whispered. "I didn't know." She said.  
"Don't worry." I said. "You're the only one that knows, besides Tom. I haven't even told Rachel." I added.  
"Have they," Cassie paused. "Have they been fighting long?" She asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.  
I shook my head. "No. The closest they've come to a fight was last night. But they don't talk, either." I said.  
Cassie looked like she wanted to say something, or do something, but she couldn't think of what that could be.  
That was enough, though. Just knowing she cared was enough for me. It was enough of a comfort for now.  
Then I turned to Cassie and grinned. "Don't we have a mission to get to, Madame Crusader?" I asked her.  
Cassie's expression turned to one of surprise for a second but then she was smiling at me. "Of course." She said.  
So we continued down the hallway and went to the door there through another hallway, and so on and so forth, and so on and so forth, until I was wishing Cassie and I had located an elevator somewhere. It didn't erase the fear and dread I was feeling as we went on, though. Fear and dread increased by every hallway we found, fear and dread amplified by each door we opened. Fear caused by the fact that we hadn't been caught.  
Because, you see, we were still alone.  
Cassie and I crossed another doorway and that was the first time I heard them. The voices. The voices of slaves, slaves who had lost even lost their right to speak, but I didn't know that at the time. I just heard them.  
Cassie must've heard them, too, because she'd stopped walking and we both stared at the wall near us.  
Cassie and I pressed our ears up against the black and white wall and listened. I heard muffled words.

"First order of business." said a voice. "Kids at the high school are," more muffled words, "Bandits."  
Cassie and I looked at each other for an answer. Neither of us had any idea what the voice meant.  
"But, Visser!" cried a woman's voice, followed by muffled noise. "Recruitment efforts are..."  
Then we heard the gunshot and the scream. They pierced through the wall, more than loud enough to be heard.  
I raced to the door nearest to me, then I looked Cassie in the eyes. I saw trust there.  
It was then that I knew, for the first time, Cassie was willing to follow me to end of anything. Then Cassie nodded.  
I flung the door open and we raced inside. We saw a darkened room, with meager light.

**__**

Flash!

There was more noise than there had been the other day. Or maybe my human ears just heard it better.  
There was a deep sloshing, swooshing sound, almost like gentle surf breaking on the shore. That sound was nice.  
The other sounds were much, much worse. Crying, terrified screams, shouts, and triumphant laughter.  
The Yeerk Pool.

"Jake!"  
Cassie's arm caught me before I fell.  
I blinked, trying to adjust my eyes. The two of us were lucky enough to be hidden from view.  
_We_ could see everything, though. Cassie helped pull me up to a sitting position, so I could stay hidden.  
"Was it another flashback?" Cassie whispered to me. I nodded and peered over to look.  
I did not like what I saw. There was a woman with short brown hair, dressed in a salmon suit, lying dead.  
I was quite grateful I couldn't see where the gunshot wound was but it was obvious there was no hope for her.  
Then my eyes caught the man with the gun. He was middle-aged and bald. Dressed in black.  
I knew that man.  
He was Victor Trent.  
"It's him!" I hissed before I was even aware of what I was saying. Cassie looked over at me, confused.  
"What are you talking about?" She asked. Her eyes were drilling into mine for an answer.  
I turned away from Cassie. "I saw him when I first went to The Sharing." I said. "I saw him," my throat closed up.  
"What did you see, Jake?" Cassie asked. Her voice was patient but I knew she wanted an answer soon.  
"You know how you mentioned you saw _him_ in your flashback?" I asked her. Cassie nodded.  
"Well, I think I saw something like that when I first saw that man. Except it was like a, like a perversion of _him_."  
"Something's not right about that man." I continued. "I don't think he's human. I think he's an enemy." I added.  
Cassie turned to stare at me, shocked. "You mean you think he's after us?" She asked me.  
I wanted to tell her that I didn't believe that, but that night at The Sharing, I knew I had met my foe.  
"Maybe." I whispered, then I turned back to what was going on below Cassie and I. "He's speaking!" I said.  
Victor Trent tossed his gun to a guard in the back of the room. The guard caught it with the ease of a cat.  
Victor Trent sneered. "Foolish humans, can't they design better weapons?" He asked no one in particular.  
"I don't believe I'll be adding guns to my weapons supply." Trent said. "Thank you for the trial, though, Iniss 256."  
Then Victor Trent kicked the dead body. Cassie grabbed me and pulled me down to keep me from kicking him.  
"Back to the topic at hand." said Victor Trent. "As I've been informed, a certain object has been reported found."  
There was a murmur of questions swarming through the crowd below. This pleased Victor Trent to no end.  
"What is this object, you ask?" Victor Trent said. "None other than the crowning jewel of the Andalite scum."  
Cassie and I both looked at each other. We had no idea what an Andalite was.  
Victor Trent was smirking as he spoke, delight dancing in his soulless eyes.  
"I speak," Victor Trent said, "Of the Escafil Device."  
A tumult of passion swept through the crowd. There was cheering and clapping, and shouts of delight and shock.  
"Jake?" Cassie asked me, her voice not above a whisper. "What's an Escafil Device?"  
The words brought a strange chill through my body, but I ignored it. "I have no idea." I said.  
I was still looking at the crowd below us. "But I think we should--" I started saying, before I heard someone.  
"What of the Andalites?" asked a man in a khaki shirt, black pants, and brown loafers.  
"What of the Andalites?" Victor Trent repeated, aiming his remark at the man. "We have defeated them all."  
"There is no Andalite threat on this planet. Even the Great Prince Elfangor is dead, you fool." said Victor Trent.  
"Elfangor?" Cassie repeated. She sounded shaken, which was just how I felt.  
I felt as if I knew the name Elfangor but I can't tell you from where that could be. I don't think I want to know.  
Then I took a deep breath and said what I'd intended to. "I think we should leave before they find us." I said.  
Cassie nodded in agreement. "Okay." She whispered.  
We both got up then and ran for the door we'd left open. No one ever heard or even saw us.  
We shut the door behind us, just like we shut all of the others we'd gone through.  
The lobby was still empty we reached it, thank God. Cassie and I got out of there as fast as we could.

~~~~~

We half-walked half-ran to another bus stop two blocks away. Cassie and I ended up sitting on a bus stop bench.  
We didn't speak for about five minutes while we waited for our bus. Cassie was the one to break the silence.  
"Jake," Cassie said, "He killed that lady."  
"I know." I whispered.  
"You were right." Cassie said. "Victor Trent isn't human. He can't be." She added.  
"I don't think the rest of them are, either." I said. "I mean, do you know what an Escafil Device is?" I asked her.  
Cassie shook her head. "I don't know but it sounds kind of familiar."  
I lowered my head. I'd gotten that feeling, too, when Victor Trent had mentioned it. But I didn't want to admit it.  
"Yeah." I said, then I bit my lip. "Cassie? If they aren't human, then maybe Mr. Chapman isn't, either." I said.  
Cassie nodded as she took in my words. "You might be right." She said. "But then, everyone in The Sharing..."  
Her words chilled me to the bone. Her implications scared me. Everyone in The Sharing, tied in with the crazy bunch we'd found there? Tied in, no, a part of that group that just let Victor Trent shoot one of their own?  
It wasn't possible, was it? Could it be that all of those kids who went to The Sharing weren't even human?  
Could all of those kids, some of who I'd known for life, just be fake? Could my own brother be a fake?  
No. No. It _couldn't_ be true. It _wasn't_ true.  
"I doubt it." I said, not sure if I was trying to convince Cassie or myself. "All of them? That's a bit of a stretch."  
"I guess so." Cassie agreed, but I could see the doubt playing in her eyes. The truth I could not, would not accept.  
Looking back on it, I was lucky our bus arrived before either Cassie or I said anything. We both boarded and asked the driver, a hairy old woman, to drop us off at our homes. Then we paid and sat down in silence again.  
It wasn't until we were about a minute from my place that Cassie and I spoke to one another.

"Jake?" Cassie asked me, her voice quiet.  
"Yeah?" I asked her, still mulling over what happened earlier.  
"If you want, I was thinking that we could go for coffee sometime and, you know, talk." Cassie said, looking away.  
I looked at her, feeling confused. "You don't mean a date or something, do you?" I asked her.  
"No!" Cassie yelped, blushing. "No." She said. "I mean, just to talk. About today. Or your parents." She added.  
I looked at Cassie. I felt stunned. Sure, the experience we'd just shared might've created a bond between anybody, but I've never met someone who would offer me their friendship so soon.  
But I was very thankful for it. If I needed anything now, after stumbling upon The Sharing's secret, was a friend.  
"Sure." I said with a smile. Then I added, "Thank you, Cassie."  
She just shrugged, like it was nothing at all. Like her action didn't mean all that much. Even though it did, to me.  
Then the bus stopped in front of my house. I got off but not before telling Cassie goodbye.  
Then I watched as the bus went on to take her home.

The first thing I did when I got home was to erase the message on our answering machine.  
It was from Mr. Chapman, telling my parents I'd gone missing from school today.  
The rest of the time I vacillated between figuring out what I'd tell Tom when he came back, what I'd tell Rachel, Marco and the others and trying not to think about what had happened to Cassie and I at The Sharing building.  
When I wasn't busy with that I played video games or shot hoops in my room. I didn't leave the house again just in case one of my neighbors might report me to my parents. I could only hope their kids wouldn't tell any of them.  
Tom bought the story I told him and we both agreed not to mention my school skipping to our parents.  
The rest of the night went on tense as usual, at least ever since I'd found out about the divorce-to-be.  
Except this night there wasn't a heart-to-heart with Tom.

That was replaced by nightmares of a blue-deer-scorpion thing, a man with a gun, and a blue box.

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Reader-People-Thingy...okay, where'd my vocabulary go?! (reader response)

DH - Glad you like it so far, and sorry the update was so long, but the new chapter's up, so yay!

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Neri - The only thing I coulda done to make the bus-chasing scene more a Spiderman ref would be to have Rachel come storming up to stop the bus. I have unhealthy crushes on both Tobey Maquire and Peter Parker (swoon!) Speaking of movie refs, both Marco and Ax' initals have movie refs in them -- but that wasn't intentional. I didn't figure it out 'til I gave them last names. Oooh, and you're right about all this Spidey/Tobias stuff. And Rachel's pretty MJ-like, don'tcha think? Note to self: Write upside-down kissie-scene for the bird and the beauty. I'm gonna go with Tobias having gray-blue eyes. My sister has them, and they're beautiful. It also means Birdboy's eyes will look a bit like Ax's. Cool, huh? You get a hint at the Yeerk's plans in this chappie. Chapman will continue da evilness. As for the repressed memories stuff, that's just the Ani's theories (okay, more like _Ax's_ theories) on why they're having flashbacks. And I'll have a better explanation for this when the time comes, but that's pretty much what the Ellimist did. He erased everyone's memories, but they all still recall their lives as Animorphs if just a little bit. Kind of like the Loren/Elfangor thing. And Dude will show in Tobias's chapter.

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Stormwing - Yay, reviews! I love reviews! Actually, this fic has gotten more reviews than anything I've written. It's kinda scary. Aw, don't worry, Rachel will probably call Marco an asshole more than once when she's with Tobias. And yes, I know Chapman's weird, but he's meant to be. And I actually like Chapman a lot but he's just Weird Bad Guy of the Moment. Read into that what you will. I hope I kind of explained Cassie's reasoning in this chapter, and whoa, Cass ain't gettin' yeerked! But I need to bring Aftran in here somehow. Aftran was cool...oh wait, I know how! Yay! Ooh, cinnamon buns! I love those! And yep, Cassie talked back. And Ax did squeal, glad someone caught that. But he has his reasons! The whole "ruin your reputation" thing, remember? Marco's gonna be a jerk for a while. Ax seems to bring that out in him. As for Melissa, well, you'll see. Cassie's teacher is named after and based on a Buffy character. Hope you like the HP ref!

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Puar Briefs - The search is giving you an error because of the "-" in my Author Name. Just type in "Jinako" on the search. I'm the only one here, so you'll find me. As for the English/French swap, like I said, I'm sorry and the previous chapters have been fixed. And I _knew_ I spelled Sacajawea right the first time! Curse you, unreliable sites found on Yahoo! _ Now, I'm not going to change Antigoine, though. The first reason is that the play is kind of important to Cassie's story. Secondly, I'm stubborn. =P _You_ may have read Antigoine in Ninth Grade, but I just read in my early Sophmore year, and I find it better to write life as I know it. Each state educational system and ISD are different, too. But I'm making text files with lots of little info now so that I don't mess up the continuinty as stuff like that. And I try to research when I can. Back to the rest of the review now -- god save us all if Crayak finds out what Toomin did? Will he? I'm not telling. =P And hawks in a dresses lead to nightmares. @_@ Glad you liked Ax's stuttering. I feel it was 00|_ 2. Loren does kick bum, but hey! Rach was awesome! And she'll kick major arse in this fic. Marky, Johnny, Joey and CJ? I feel...confusion. Who? Oh, and Angsty!Marco will show up a lot. Though Crayak and Drode might not have much to do with _his_ angst. Oh, and Angsty!Goku is good. ^______^

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Lisa-Ann - You are loved, you are loved! Rejoice! Ack, two weeks with brats?! You have my upmost sympathy. And, um, nopers...it's not the thinga-whoosa-ma-whatits. Cassie's dream is brought about by "not-so-powerful" forces. Ahh! Papers! I forgot about my English papers...eeek. Glad you liked the chap, too!

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Alara-Sirinial-Amalon - Wow, glad you like the fic!

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Doctor Strangelove - The meat cleaver may not be for me, but, well...just don't make me use the FEET OF DOOM. Oh, Tara ref? Why, I've _no_ idea what you're talking about. And yep, all dreams with be Restless-refs. Especially since I'm planning a Restless-esque chapter anyway. And maybe a "Once More With Feeling" kind of chapter, too. Cassie's cool, I like her. And skunk babies shall rule the planet alongside my new baby kittens. Willow/Cassie? I'm, um, scared now. Can't say I love Kennedy, but if Willow's happy with her, I won't complain. And I liked Riley! But I now I'm the only one who did. Damn you, Buffster, and your dumping of decent boyfriends...**cough** Ignore me. And a "Boys Will Be Boys" sequel? Have I mentioned how much I love you lately? =P Man, I hope I don't end up pitying Jake. And yeah, Rachel will help Marco and Ax, but not in the direct way I think you're thinking of. 'Least...not at first. =D

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RasberryGirl - Nope, it doesn't take place in the start of the series. The fic starts in their Sophmore year. Actually, the green just represents Cassie herself. I wrote it as her favorite color, and all the colors (except the white bag) represent the others, too, so there's your hint to dream interpreting. Huh, you're right about the J/C being junior high-ish. Hope this chap's dose was a bit more mature. And Ax didn't register sans-guardian, Loren registered him. Sorry, I should've explained that.

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Lavenderangel - Woohoo! Go Cassie! And I'm glad you liked the C/A friendship bit. Oh, and Cassie is still very understanding. And, hey, lookie! Was that Jake-comfort I just saw? =P Not a bad idea about Tom. Hmm. And, yes, I know both Marco and Ax are a little creepy. I apologize, they'll mellow out. And it's good you don't mind them as a couple. **coughs** (I'm a big fan of that couple. Yes, I am odd.) Glad you like your plushies and enjoy your angsty scenemaking! As for that scene, it'll show up in a twisted way or form VERY late in the fic. Years from now, probably.

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DawnOfEast - It's okay if you didn't review. I'd like it if you started to, though. =P And Ismene is actually the sister of Antigoine (the heroine in the play Cassie was researching), but it is a reference to Cassie and a lot of what she'll go through in this fic. 

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DJ Eagel - Two people on a Freak Apple high? YAY! And, sorry, Cassie went to The Sharing anyway despite the toenail beating she got. Glad you liked the chapter, and unless I'm some freaky guy who has periods twice a month (still angry 'bout that, sorry), I'm pretty sure I'm a girl. If not, something is _wrong._

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Freak Apple - You know what I just figured out? You're almost-always the first person to review this fic! Thank you! **huggles** It's okay, I think I made the dream too vague. I'm sorry. But you got some of it right! And yep, Rachel'll keep teasing Cassie. Sorry my update was late! And the gay-straight alliance...um, well, my friends are lazy. I think I'll need to borrow some of those meanness pills myself, so I can kick their rears into gear. =P


	10. Chapter Nine: Marco

Author's Note: Don't shoot me! You shoot me, and I'll _never_ be able to update!  
Okay, with that out of the way, I'm SO SORRY this took so long. At first, it was writer's block, but then I just got lazy.  
In case anyone was wondering, I _haven't_ skipped Rachel, Tobias, or Ax. They're coming up. I'm not telling anyone a dang thing about the ending and what it means. You'll find out in due time. =)  
And take note: Marco, Rachel, and Tobias's chapters take part during Cassie and Jake's escapde. I'm not sure if Ax's will or not yet.  
Okay, I'm not gonna take up anymore time. Get to reading!

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Threads of Fate  
Chronicle One

* * *

"Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true." --Montaigne, Essays

* * *

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Chapter Nine  
-Marco-

My name is Marco Jones.  
And I just might be a flaming idiot.

You see, it all started about a week ago, when I'd been called into the principal's office because my history teacher wanted me to switch classes. Guess the guy just can't take a joke. Anyway, let's just say that Mr. Chapman, my oh-so-balding principal, said some not-so-nice things about my mom. My dead mom.  
After that, I left Chapman's office. That was when I had the flashback.  
Yeah, you read that right. You aren't some kind of psycho. As for me? Well, I don't know. Would you call a guy who has flashbacks one hundred percent sane? Yeah, I didn't think so, either.  
As if that wasn't weird enough, though, I got the grand honor of meeting Jake Berenson. My once best friend.  
I bet you're pretty confused. So am I. But it turns out I'm not, as my meeting with Jake proved, the only person around here having flashbacks. There are four of us -- me, the handsome, charming, humble, and witty one.  
Rachel, who I have a strong suspicion is Xena brought to life. Tobias, the shy guy who hangs around Rachel. Then there's Cassie, a cute little black girl who Jake stares at a lot, which you _didn't_ hear from me.  
Oh, and there's Captain Revelations himself, big 'ol Jake. I'm bit pissed off at him right now.  
It might be because he's got me involved in a wild goose chase for well, _whatever_ we were all chasing in our flashbacks. We don't even know who or what that could be. Speaking for myself, I'm up for never finding out.  
I mean, the past is the past. Shouldn't it stay dead and buried?

My friends don't seem think so. Jake in particular, ever since he visited The Sharing with his brother.  
Ever since he told me that he doesn't think my mother dead. Which is kind of funny when you think about it.  
I mean, the guy's only known me for about a day and he decides one of my parent's deaths is just a big lie?  
The thing that's a real riot is that I'm not sure Jake isn't the one who's wrong.

But I didn't want to think about that now. I tried to put my mind back into Biology and listen to the teacher.  
"Open your books to page 190 and get cracking on Chapter 5." Droned Mr. Quirrel to our half-dead class.  
We were half-dead since it was first period, you understand. Albeit those freaks called morning people.  
I am not one of those said freaks, by the way. If it were up to me I'd be in bed until about noon. But is it up to me? No, of course not. Are you insane? Why, there would be decent food in the cafeteria and interesting classes if I ran the school. If I ran the school, there would be no math and school wouldn't open until one in the afternoon.  
No, wait. School just plain would not open at all if I was in charge. But thanks to the Powers That Be, I wasn't.  
So I was subjected to trying to force my sleep-deprived brain to soak up the details of genetics. It was horrible.  
For the first five minutes, I tried. I gave it my best effort and it isn't my fault if the material was boring.  
It started with my head dropping every few inches down in the pages of the book, but I managed to snap it back up. Then I was blinking a lot because my eyes didn't like the idea of staying open. Then I lay my head down.  
Soon as my head hit the desk I groaned and opened my eyes. I _would_ stay awake, I _could_ stay awake.  
I yawned and shook my head then found myself leaning up against the cool pages of my books.  
It's amazing how comfy a textbook can feel when you're tired. I'm serious, see what I mean next time you drift off.  
"Come on, Marco, wake up." I grumbled to myself and forced my eyes to open.  
Then I looked at the words on the page again and I just gave up. Maybe I could read it in homeroom.  
Before I even knew what happened, the fisherman of dreams had grabbed me with his hook and pulled me in.

The room was familiar. So was the little kid watching his parents decorate the tree.  
That little kid was _me_.  
Mom was standing on a chair, putting a star up at the top of the tree. My Dad was laughing as he held onto the legs of the chair to keep it, and my mom, from toppling down.  
Then when she was finished Mom kneeled down and climbed off the chair and gave Dad a peck on the cheek.  
Mom turned to look at me and smiled. Everything about that smile was fake.  
It was pretty strange, I have to admit. People have always said my mom and I look alike and now, it was like I was looking at myself. Well, okay, an older and despite might people might tell you, much more feminine version.  
Then I took a step back as the little kid, the younger me, vanished.  
That was when I saw the tree and the ornaments hanging down from the branches.  
A little tiger, a tiny grizzly bear, a cute little wolf, a mini hawk, and a blue creature unlike anything I had ever seen.  
But, and I can't explain it, I had a feeling something was missing. Or more like _someone_ was missing.

"It isn't time." My mother said as a freezing breeze passed by and the room faded away.

I looked around and found that Mom and I were standing somewhere else. Somewhere dark and dangerous.  
Somewhere that was familiar in an eerie kind of way, in particular when I noticed in the cages.  
Where, I wondered, was my dad? Gone. I couldn't see him anywhere. Perhaps he'd vanished too.  
Mom's smile twisted into a vicious grin. An expression I'd never seen on that face.  
"It isn't time." Mom repeated, her voice calm and threatening. It sent shivers down my spine.  
She licked her lips in a predatory kind of way, then laughed, the sound echoing through the dark place.  
"It isn't time, Marco, my little Animorph." My mother said.  
Animorph? What was an Animorph? I wondered as my steps backwards began to quicken their pace.  
"You were always a clever little boy, can't you figure it out?" Mom asked me, sounding disappointed.  
Her face started to melt away. It was changing into something else.  
I think that's when I would've started screaming, if I could've. But I could just manage to breathe through my fear.  
It was horrible, disgusting, terrifying, to watch. I stood still and shocked as Mom changed.  
As my mother changed into a filthy grey slug.

"Mom? Mom!" My head snapped up from off my desk. I was breathing heavy, covered in a cold sweat.  
I looked around me in a panic. Where was I? What was happening?  
Mr. Quirrel coughed. "Drifting off in class, Mr. Jones?" He asked me.  
_Why no, I was just resting my eyes._ I thought of saying, but I bit my tongue and just shrugged.  
"I see." Mr. Quirrel hissed. "Well, could you explain dominant and submissive traits to me?" He asked.  
"Uh...dominant are the visible traits, and submissive are the invisible?" I ventured. Mr. Quirrel sighed.  
"That's good enough." He said with a clipped voice. "But you're getting detention next time, Marco." He added.  
"Sir yes sir." I muttered, making certain to sit up straight.  
The rest of class went by quick, excepting for Mr. Quirrel's glares, of course.  
Then the bell rang and I left class like usual. Except I couldn't shake off the feeling something wasn't right.

~~~~~

On the way to Spanish, I ran into her.  
Her being Rachel Berenson, who I swear is Xena, Buffy, Storm, and She-Ra rolled into one person. I'm serious.  
Rachel's like Super Woman -- tall, leggy, blond, witty and nuts.  
Not to mention being miles out of my league, but then again, I don't have much a league to start with. My only girlfriend ever was this girl named Marian. She was nice and pretty and all, but she had class, and I, uh, don't.  
Anyway, back to Rachel. On my way to the room _del inferno_, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the crowd before I even figured out what was going on. When I turned to face my assailant, I smiled.  
"Well, it's not everyday a girl risks life and limb for me, Xena." I joked.  
Rachel rolled her eyes, then her face turned grave. "Have you seen Cassie?" She asked me.  
"No." I said with a shrug. "Why? She still a no-show?" I pressed Rach, who nodded.  
Then she looked around with her eyes of ice before leaning up close to whisper something in my ear.  
I loved and hated the way that made me jumpy. Rachel didn't even notice.  
"Look." She whispered. "Jake's calling her right now. Tell me at lunch if he finds anything." She added.  
She pulled away from me, oblivious to the fact I almost lost my balance. I turned to her and put on my all-purpose smirk before she caught on. It was, without a doubt, not the first time my smirk had saved me.  
"So if Jake gets nothing, what are you gonna do?" I asked. "Play Recon Girl?"  
Rachel laughed. "Maybe. You can stay and be Sit-on-my-Butt Guy, though." She joked, flashing me a smile.  
"Oh, ow!" I gasped and even faked a wince. "That one hurt. I swear. You've just broken my heart." I said.  
Then I paused to think about Rachel's words. "Hey!" I protested. "I have important learning to do!" I shouted.  
"Maybe you should hurry to class and learn, then." Rachel said, giving me a shove back into the crowd.  
I turned around to see her heading for the gym, but ready to rush in and save someone she still didn't quite know.

She was crazy, but God, she was beautiful.

In Spanish I learned exciting things about reflexive verbs. But since I'm guessing you don't want to hear about all that, though, so never mind. It's kind of funny in a way, now that I think about it, that I'm learning the language now.  
Because my mother could've taught me, you see.  
My _dead_ mother, no matter what Jake says. No matter how many nightmares I have.  
This morning wasn't the first time I've had a nightmare about her, I admit. When I was a kid I had dream after dream about her drowning again and again. This was different, and I didn't want to admit it. I couldn't.  
So I marched my butt over to History to see Jake. He's a nice, funny, guy from what I knew of him but I won't lie that I felt pissed at him. He had the gall to tell me my mother was alive. He was the one who put all these weird thoughts in my head. If we'd never met then maybe, just maybe, I could've moved on.  
I mean, it's normal for someone to want a loved to come back, right? Because if it isn't, I'm a super-freak.  
I'll admit I was also a little worried about Cassie. It's not like we're more than acquaintances, we just met this week.  
The thought of something happening to that cute little black girl bothered me, though. Almost like she was a friend.  
I turned down the hall and stepped into class, ready to have a few words with Jake about the whole thing.  
What I found was going to at least make Rachel very PO'd.

Jake wasn't in class.

~~~~~

If it wasn't for my common sense telling me not to, I would've bolted out of class then and there. I didn't.  
I ran out of class as soon as the bell rang. It was as if I were sprinting for a marathon.  
This was a marathon more important than any I ever could've ever run in my whole life. _Something_ was wrong here, I knew it. Cassie and Jake, both gone? We talked about Cassie's disappearance, Jake, Rachel, and I.  
It was obvious in our flashbacks we had enemies. Tobias and Cassie had mentioned weird bladed aliens.  
Both Rachel and I recalled being animals, and Jake had a memory about some things called Controllers.  
This _couldn't_ all be real, could it? I mean, sure, Jake's brother has an unexplained heart attack.  
That didn't mean a thing. Maybe Jake was just some paranoid freak. Cassie, too. This was insane, all of it.  
I stopped in front of the cafeteria to catch my breath. Then I saw Rachel walking by with Tobias.

"Rachel!" I panted. "Rachel!" I shouted this time.  
She and Tobias both turned at the sound of my voice. Then they ran up to me.  
"Marco, what'd you find out?" Rachel pressed me for info. "Where's Jake?" She asked me.  
Tobias guided me over to a bench nearby while I tried to breathe again. He's a good guy, even if he needs a life.  
As soon as I could breath again, I told Rachel what I knew. "Jake isn't here." I said.  
"Then where is he?" Rachel asked me as a worried look spread across her face.  
"I have no freaking idea." I told her. "I don't even know what he found out, since he ditched class." I added.  
"Um, he did what?" Rachel asked me, her voice filled with fake sweetness. I wilted under it.  
"Jake ditched class." I mumbled. Rachel nodded to herself, a dangerous gleam in her blue eyes. It was scary.  
"Rachel, what are you--" Tobias started saying, his voice wavering a little before Rachel put a finger to his lips.  
"_I'm_ going to find out what's going on here." Rachel said. "_You two_ will stay and be backup."  
I started up at her. Backup? Since when? I got back on my feet. "Rachel, are you insane?!" I shouted.  
"Jake and Cassie have already ditched. Never mind whatever the hell might be after them, they'll have to deal with Mr. Chapman first and foremost." I told Rachel. She looked ready to say something, but I interrupted her.  
"How do you think they'll explain all this? 'Oh, Mr. Chapman, we just went off on some wild goose chase involving these weird flashbacks we've been having, and please don't suspend us?' We're screwed as is!" I shouted.  
"Who said anything about leaving school?" Rachel asked me. I blinked in confusion.  
"Look, I think this all started with Mr. Chapman." Rachel said. "He called Cassie in, and now she's gone."  
Rachel bit her lip as she continued with a guilty look on her face. "Melissa Chapman's one of my best friends, and she told me her dad's been acting weird. Robot-like. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but I think he's part of this."  
Tobias and I looked at each other, then we both turned back to Rachel. Why hadn't she mentioned this?  
Rachel sighed and flashed us a smile. "Look, I'm gonna try talking to Melissa." She told Tobias and I.  
"What should we do, then, oh fearless Xena?" I asked Rachel. She laughed at little. It was kind of nice.  
"Why don't you talk to...oh crap, what is that guy's name?" Rachel said, her brows creasing as she thought.  
"Ax?" Tobias said as he looked at Rachel. I gaped at him. I already did not like where this was going.  
Rachel snapped her fingers. "Yeah, Ax!" She cried. "Why don't you guys see if he knows anything?" She asked.  
I would've made some sarcastic comment right about then if Rachel hadn't run off inside the building.

Tobias and I looked at each other.  
"I'm not doing it." I said to him, and I meant it. I refused to play spy-boy as far as Ax Isthil was concerned  
Tobias shrugged. "I don't care either way." He said.  
"So why aren't you going to find him?" I asked Tobias. A look of embarrassment flooded his face.  
"Because of last time. The things we said. You know we shook that guy up, Marco." Tobias told me.  
I frowned. What Tobias meant by "the last time" was when he and I had been sent, on Jake's suggestion, to see if Ax Isthil was a member of our little gang of crazies. The whole operation didn't go over all that well.  
I'll admit a lot of that was kind of my fault. I can't explain why, but something about Ax made me edgy.  
Something about him drove me to keep my guard up and told me to be careful around him. It also led me to being a complete asshole, looking back on the whole thing. Still, it made me mad the way he'd called us nuts.  
I do think he's one of us and I think he knows it, too. But he won't accept it, hasn't accepted it.  
It cuts a little too close to the bone.

"I'm still not gonna do it." I told Tobias.  
"Fine, then." Tobias said. "We'll just settle this like mature adults." Then he pulled out his fist.  
I started down at it and then looked back up to Tobias. "You've lost me." I said.  
"Rock, Paper, Scissors." Tobias said. "That's how we're going to settle this." He added.  
I couldn't help it, I busted up laughing. "This is your idea of a mature solution?" I asked him.  
"Do you have a better idea?" Tobias asked me.  
"Um, well, no." I admitted then I drew out my fist. Tobias and I looked each other in the eyes.  
"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" We both shouted, then we examined the results. I got Scissors, Tobias got Rock.  
"Looks like you're interrogation man today." said Tobias. I scowled at him. "I hate you so much right now."  
"Good for you." Tobias said. "Now, I'd say he's either in the cafeteria or the computer lab." He added.  
"Words can't express my joy." I said. Then Tobias glared at me, so I shut up and set off on my mission.

And for the thousandth time, everything that happened afterwards is not my fault.

~~~~~

Of course, things can't be easy for me. Ax was without a doubt in the computer lab, which meant I had to trudge around to the whole other side of the school to talk to a guy that just pissed me off, even though I don't know why.  
So it was about six minutes later that I found myself in the GWHS computer lab surrounded by geeks. Joy.  
I spotted him quick enough, over in the corner, typing like mad. I have to admit the guy is kind of easy to pick out of a crowd. Must be because I've never seen a guy that looks so girlish in my entire life.  
Yes, I'm aware that was a cheap shot, and I don't care. It's just not right for a guy to look that, well, _pretty_.  
Nobody even looked up from their monitors as I grabbed a chair and parked myself down next to Ax.  
To tell the truth, I felt a little creeped out. The room had bad lighting at best, with the windows and monitors compensating for dying overhead lights. Add that to the fact no one was saying a dang thing and it gets weird.

"Hey." I said.  
Ax looked up at me for a second, then turned back to his monitor. Then he almost fell out of his seat when he recognized me. It's a good thing to know people freak when they know who you are, though he had a reason.  
"Hello. Marco, wasn't it?" He said, trying to look like he hadn't just lost his cool.  
"You know my name, Ax." I hissed. "Stop fooling around, I need to talk to you." I said to him.  
"Why?" He asked, pressing the ENTER key on the keyboard. I tried to lean over to see what the heck he was doing, but I couldn't see over his head. Did I ever mention how much I hate being short?  
"It's about Cassie and Jake." I whispered, careful to not lift my voice above minimum hearing level.  
Ax stopped typing. He turned away the monitor to look at me. "What's happened?" He asked me.  
He looked freaked out, kind of like a kid caught stealing a cookie before dinner, but this was worse.  
All of the sudden I had a feeling maybe _he_ knew what happened better than I did.  
"Cassie ditched school and we don't know where Jake is." I told him, wondering if my suspicion was right.  
"Cassie ditched?" Ax asked me. His eyes turned upwards while he spoke. "I have no idea why."  
_Bullshit_, I thought. _You know exactly why she ditched today._  
I stared at Ax for a long time. I noticed his tense, slouching posture. The way he refused to look me in the eyes.  
I happen to know when people are lying to me, and Ax Isthil was a fountain of lies and half-truths.  
"Rachel says it might have something to do with Principal Chapman." I whispered.  
His whole body seemed to stiffen. He laughed, though. I noticed the laughter didn't reach into his eyes.  
Eyes which, for a split second, looked a lot like Rachel's, even though they were a lot more like Tobias's in color.  
"Rachel's nuts." Ax scoffed. "Chapman doesn't have any reason to be after Cassie. It's not like..." Then he paused.  
"It's not like what, Ax?" I pressed him. He started and started at me. "What doesn't Chapman know about us?"  
"It's not like he knows, you know, about everything." Ax whispered. This time he couldn't even try looking at me.

I didn't want to admit to what I knew, deep down, must be true. Sure, I didn't like Ax, but I didn't want this.  
I patted him on the shoulder as I got out of my chair. "You're right." I said. "Thanks, Ax-man." I added.  
He turned to me again, his eyes wide. "What did you call me?" He asked.  
I frowned. I didn't want to spend another minute in this room if I could help it. "Ax-man." I said. "So?"  
Ax shook his head, then gave me a thin-lipped smile. "Nothing, I suppose." He said, turning back to the keyboard.  
It was as I was leaving that I noticed the golden eagle outside the window.

**__**

Flash!

I watched, helpless. I was an osprey. There wasn't any way I could catch him.  
Golden eagles are fast. Jake, in his peregrine falcon morph, could've intercepted the eagle.  
But he was too far away. With my osprey eyes I saw the eagle talons rake forward.

It was then that any doubts I had were erased from my mind. I had to get out of that room.

We had a traitor in our midst.

~~~~~

I wasn't thinking straight as I plowed my way down the hall. You might not believe me, but I didn't want it to be true.  
I didn't like the guy, he was irritating and stubborn at best. But I was sure he was one of us.  
Or at least, he _had_ been, at some point. Before he decided to turn tail on us, figuratively speaking.  
There was no doubt in my mind that Ax had given us up to Chapman, up to _them_, whoever they were.  
And I was afraid that in our flashbacks he'd done much worse than that.  
I guess that maybe I was kind of to blame, I could've been more tactful. Still, to decide and turn us all in?  
That's blowing things way out of proportion. I don't think even I would've done something like that.

It was just two teachers arguing that ended my train of thought.

"Illim 136, don't play games with me." One of the teachers, a tall man dressed in gray, said.  
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Niar 253." Said the other teacher, a short fat man in green.  
"You withheld information from Iniss 666." Said the Gray Suit Man. "You're a traitor to the cause." He added.  
"I'm no such thing!" Protested Short Fat Guy. "Niar 253, you're misunderstanding the situation!" He pleaded.  
_What the hell is going on?_ I thought as I hid behind a wall, watching the two men in the empty hallway.  
"I'm misunderstanding a deliberate information withdrawal?" Asked Grey Suit Man.  
Short Fat Guy started trembling as Gray Suit Man pulled out what looked like a laser beam.  
"Maybe, but I'm misunderstanding the Visser's orders. Goodbye, Illim 136." Said Gray Suit Man.  
Then he fired. There was a flash of red light and then a man was gone. Wiped away like he never existed.  
I turned away and pressed my back to the wall. I just dared to breathe. I listened through the quiet as I heard footsteps. As, second by everlasting second, the footsteps grew fainter and fainter.  
It was a whole three minutes later that I had the balls to check and see if Gray Suit Man, or Niar 253, had left.  
As I looked down the empty hallway, there was just one thought in my mind.

Jake had picked one hell of a day to skip school.

**To My Minions (just kidding! - reader response)**

**Neri, Princess of the Oceans ** - Gah! I updated! Don't hurt me! Thanks for the Happy Birthday, and yep, I did get kittens. 7, in fact, because it turns out all three of my girl cats were pregnant and now they're having fights over the babies. Oh well. You know, I think Tobias was with Spiderman. =P Haha, that'd be a cool story. But seriously, though, Tobias rides a different bus ruote than the other three, who get to school the quickest. (Next to Ax, who has Loren to drive him.) And he doesn't know where they meet up yet. I liked that quote last chapter too. Homer's alive, dun worry! And Jake and Cassie aren't quite dating yet. **winks** I WILL get funny parts in this story, I swear.  
**stands up behind a flag** Someday, there will be funny parts in this fic. Someday, I'll update on time. Someday...  
Yeah, Tom is being nice, ain't he? Wonder why. And as for Jake's Mom's name, it says Jean on the Anibase, so I dunno which one of us is right. And Jake'll get more sad stuff about his parents and I want HP5 too!

**MysticAnubisOFtheRING** - Glad you've liked the story so far.

**Lavenderangel** - Here's a secret: I don't care WHEN you review, so long as you do it. And it's okay, I'm really lazy, too. =P  
Mr. Snape? Having something to do with Harry Potter? Why, I have no idea what you're talking about! Yep, I love my Potter. **huggles Daniel Radcliffe** I want Order of the Phoenix...heehee, glad you liked the J/C stuffs.  
And I didn't skip over Rachel, she's coming next, as a matter of fact. Poor Ax gets the shaft again, though, he's still last. Heh...and there's a new chapter. It's not soon, but it's here!

**Stormwing** - It's all right if your review took a while. Believe me, I understand. (Away, evil French homework, away!) You dissected rats? I never got to dissect nothin'. I hear this year's freshman at my school are dissecting baby sharks, though. Isn't that scary? Glad you liked the last chapter.  
As for why Ax doesn't just, say, hack into Chapman's or his own files, I meant to address that in this chapter, but I think it'll fit better in Ax's. There is a real explanation, don't worry. Why does Cassie have feelings about the Sharing in MM4? I have no idea. But in this fic, it's because she's still an anomaly (is that the word?), and...well, that's not all, but no spoilers! The Horks should show up, biut that's probably gonna be in Part 2 or 3, which is quite a ways off. I have no idea how to pronounce Hork-Bajir, sorry. Go HP! Whaddya mean, where's Tobias? He's right here! **holds up the poor birdie** I got California, New Jersey from Augustine Quill's awesome fic One Least Likely. You should check it out. David will show up and probably have his own chapter or two.  
As for Rachel and Jake's parents, they're sisters who married brothers. Seriously. I'll explain in Rachel's chap.  
As for Jake's Dad's name, again, I got it from Anibase, so I'm probably wrong.

**Luvya** - Glad you like the story. And Ax isn't quite all that human, but that's all I'm gonna say about that. And if you wanna know, it's spelled Andalite. Once again, glad you liked it and thanks for reviewing!

**Doctor Strangelove** - You know, I know a guy named Jefferey. Anyway, glad you Jake so far. I'm finding a lot of people who didn't like Jake in the series like him in this fic. Weird. And Cassie is da man, no contest.  
Tom? Evil? Nah. Unfortunately, he's not gay in this fic. But I'll probably have Marco coming out to Jake, so does that make up for it? And I think you should have Adventures in Clubbing on your mind all the time. =P  
Woohoo! Go Restless fic! **cheers** Go Jason! **cheers** Go singing Rachel! **fireworks**  
I'm not sure how I can realistically pull of a OMWF-type chapter for this fic, though, so I might just have to do a seperate series in that case, but I really wanna try. And, um, go skunk babies. But they can't beat SQUIRREL POWER. (Inside joke. No, I'm NOT crazy, where'd you get that idea?) On a Buffy/Animorphs slashy cross, all I can say is that the idea of Marco/Spike has me laughing my ass off. Aside from that, I'm gonna lie and say I had nothing to do with it. =P Yay, I'm loved! Back at ya, again. Woohoo, more Boys Will Be Boys! **does the happy dance**  
And I will pay you money (ignore the fact I have none) if you do the Ax/Shaft parody.  
Rachel's a very influential force on the future of slashiness. And two periods sucked, but they're over, so all's good. Thanks for the belated birthday wish, too.

**Alara-Sirinial-Amalon** - Glad you liked and thanks for the birthday wishes. Lots of people seem to like the Ax-as-a-human idea. And I've continued, so um, be happy!

**Puar Briefs** - Jakeman? I like that. And I'm finding that a lot of people are liking Jake in this. Why?  
I agree with you, the last chapter did drag. I had to cram a lot in. I think this one's a lot smoother, though.  
Cassie will relate to Antigoine and Ismene, but if I revealed more, I'd be ruining a lot of the story. It is a shame they forgot Ismene, I liked the way she was willing to die with her sis, that was brave. See, she did have a backbone! (Ignore me, I'm thinking of English class right now.) Creon's smelly feet? I'm...scared now. Go OOP!  
Glad you liked the Jake-Tom stuff, too. See ya later!

**DawnOfEast** - Oh, wow! You didn't have to go and re-review, but thanks! Anyway, I thought it was time the Ellimist gave the Animorphs a break. 'Sides, he was always pretty fond of them, wasn't he? Glad you liked the Cassie chap, and the Ismene stuff is a ways off, so don't worry. Yeah, thinks are taking a while, but I think the plot's speeding up now. As for Ax, don't worry, lots of angsts twists there.

**Patrick Blah** - Don't worry, I'm not planning on giving up on this! There's tons more to write!  
Glad you liked Ax and everybody else. Oh, and Loren's gonna have a role in all this, so don't worry.  
And yes, Loren was blind. I did change that. And yeah, it is a lot like MM4, huh?

**RasberryGirl** - Glad to impart Jewish info. =) I'm glad you liked the chapter too and it's always fun to give the readers a little chill. Cassie's dream was really vague and I'm sorry 'bout that. I'm going to try and make the dreams not so vague from now on. Thanks for the happy birthday wishes, too.  
PS: Update Trust soon! Please?

**Freak Apple** - Gah. I hate computers and the freaky not-working thing they do. Wow, that Sweet Sixteen you went to sounds horrible. Mine _was_ a lot. 'Course, it was mostly my friends stealing my PS2 and all, but it was fun. And MM2 is pretty, mm-hm. So was MM1, because trashcans are funny. =P  
Jake has heard your warning about Tom is now running to Timbuktu. And Xena kicked butt! So did Rachel!  
I wish it were June 21st, cuz then I wouldn't have to worry about finals. And DAMN YOUSE, Visser 3!  
Gee, I wonder if I could get paid everytime someone compares this to MM4...hmmm...and FERRETS ROCK!

**Alikat** - S'okay, I understand the too-much heat thing. I live in Texas. And sure, you can have a puppy/kitty/ferret...what is that, exactly? A Pupkiterret?

**Lisa-Ann** - Yep, I'm just sixteen. And I can't even drive yet. **sulks** Nah, you're not old!  
Periods suck, though I have to admit I'm lucky enough not to get cramps. I just bleed WAY too heavily for any woman, especially one stuck in a tweleve-year old's body like me. Yes, you are loved! And Chapter 9 is up!

**DJ Eagel** - Silly Cassie, Trix are for kids! Sorry, couldn't help it. And I'm glad you liked this chapter! 


	11. Chapter Ten: Rachel

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. Finals are EVIL. So is losing everything on your computer. Anyway, though, school'll be over after this week and provided I don't acquire a job over the summer, this fic (and my original stories) will updated more regularly. Aside from that, enjoy!

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

Treat your friend as if he might become an enemy. - Publilius Syrus (~100 BC), Maxims 

* * *

**-Chapter Ten-  
Rachel **

My name is Rachel Berenson.

I'm worried.

Which might have something to do with the fact Cassie hadn't shown up to school, even though she'd promised to meet me out in front like she'd done this whole week, but now she ended up a no-show. Under normal circumstances that wouldn't be such a big deal. Ten-to-one it just meant she was sick and I'd see her next Monday.  
But I'm not living in "normal circumstances". Because, see, I remember being a cat.  
I also remember being very mad at a boy who was a bird. His name, by the way, is Tobias Avan.  
Except he's not a bird, not as far as I know. Then again, I can't turn into a cat, either.  
At least, not now. But I think that at one time I could. It's just that I can't remember that time. To tell the truth, I'm not sure I want to. Most of my life up until this point has been kind of, well, pointless. I'll admit, I'm one of those pretty popular girls.  
Give me a little credit, though, I didn't get that way by becoming Queen Bitch. In fact, I don't quite know where I stand in with the "in-crowd" right now. I was dumped by the Prep Posse when I started making friends with Tobias. He's kind of a loner and from what he's told me (and the rumors flying around school), he's also a bully magnet. Not who you'd expect to win Mr. GWHS.  
I like Tobias, though. More than I ever liked any of those little twerps I hung out with.  
I wonder how they'd react to finding out I'm not only hanging out with Tobias, but also our high school's reigning Class Clown, Marco Jones plus George Washington High's Nature Girl.  
What mattered more right now, though, was what Coach Melody thought of me.  
I was late to Gymnastics and about to face the wrath of a very big and very ticked lady.  
Coach Melody had escorted me to the locker room so she could avoid chewing me out in front of the whole team. I don't know if that was more for her benefit or mine. It was nice of her, though.  
That didn't mean I was going to tell her _why_ I was late.  
I was not going to tell my coach that I was late to second-period practice because I'd run to the other side of the school in order to catch my cousin Jake and warn him a girl I didn't know all that well was still not at school. Not to mention that I'd instructed our high school's favorite midget to tell me whatever Jake found out about Missing Girl's whereabouts.  
To tell you the truth, I'm not that sure why I'm being so overprotective of Cassie. I mean, we haven't known each other for more than a week and I admit I've never found someone who's more my opposite! I mean, the girl can't dress to save her life and I don't think I want to know why (or what) has stained her overalls. Cassie's an animal nut. Me? I like animals, but I don't love 'em.  
Which is what makes this all so weird. The funny thing is that, I think, in these flashbacks we've been having, Cassie and I used to be best friends. I can feel it.

Or maybe I'm just in need of a friend right now.

"Rachel, I don't want to pry, but is anything going on in your life?" Coach Melody asked.  
I stared at her. I was expecting an angry foaming-at-the-mouth rant. Not this.  
"What?" I asked Coach Melody.  
"Well, you fall off the beams on Monday and you're late today. It's not like you. You're one of the most focused girls I have in this team. You've got talent, Rachel, and unlike most of the girls, that matters to you. I-I've seen that, you know. Ever since you joined up." Coach said.  
I'm too tall to ever be a serious gymnast. I've been doing it ever since second grade, though.  
People are always telling me that I have talent. When my dad moved away, he offered to take me with him. He said I could be accepted at a high-class school. Can you believe that?  
But again, I'm way too tall to ever be a pro. It's just a fact of life.  
"Coach, you're overestimating me." I lied. "I'm not that dedicated."  
"Yes you are." Coach Melody insisted. "I've been coaching for twenty years, missy. I can tell the winners from the quitters, Rachel. You're a winner." She added.  
I didn't know what to say. It's not everyday the coach starts filling me up with compliments.  
I guess Coach picked up on my silence. "Of course, you don't have to tell me anything." She said.  
"There's not much to tell." I halfway lied to her. "I've just been distracted lately." I said.  
Coach Melody pursed her lips. I was pretty sure she didn't believe me but she let it go.  
"All right." She said. "Well then, I'll leave and let you suit up. But you're getting detention."  
Crap. I was hoping that maybe she'd let me out of that. It's one of Coach Melody's Ten Commandments that anyone who's late to class is required to attend an after-school detention.  
"You didn't think I'd let you out of that, did you, Berenson?" Coach asked. Then she left.

Practice wasn't anything spectacular. We went over backflips and one of my personal favorites, the Arabian front somersault. There's something kind of dangerous about gymnastics, you know. It's part of why I like them so much. Call me Adrenaline Girl, I guess.  
My partner/watcher today was Marian; a girl who'd just joined up this year. She's very good.  
"Can I ask you a question?" Marian asked me as she gauged the distance for her backflip.  
"Sure." I answered. Then Marian did the backflip. When she got back up, she asked her question.  
"You're not dating Marco Jones, are you?" Marian asked me.  
What the heck? "No. I don't even know him that well." I answered, then I did the backflip.  
"Just wondering. Cause I know from experience, he's kind of...annoying." Marian told me.  
I laughed. "You two used to go out?" I asked her. Marian's kind of a classy girl.  
In other words, not Marco's type, from what I can guess. Marian scowled at me.  
"Hey, he's cute and he _could_ be funny. Besides, I like short guys." She said to me.  
I shook my head. "I've seen it all." I declared. "I'm shocked. Flabbergasted. I can't believe that little pip-squeak's ever had a girlfriend. It's all too much to take in." I joked.  
Marian laughed. "I know how you feel." She said with a smile as she lifted herself off the floor.  
After some more flips and somersaults and girl talk between Marian and I, practice ended and we all headed back to the locker room to change.

Most of the time, I'm one of the first out of the locker room. I guess it's some kind of weird family thing but I don't sweat very much. I also don't get my hair messed up easy.  
Or maybe it's a Jewish thing. Both my parents were Jewish. In fact, my dad and uncle are brothers. My mom and my Aunt Jean are just a few years apart, and yes, that creeps me out.  
But today my new Camo shirt seemed to have disappeared in the recesses of my backpack.  
So I ended up dressing with our team's slowest clothes-put-on-er. Melissa Chapman.  
Melissa and I have been best friends since second grade. We met at a kid's gymnastics meet and we've been like bread and butter ever since. Or at least, we were. Now I don't know.  
I don't know what got into me but I wish it hadn't. I was going to try talking to Melissa since I knew she was mad at me since I was considering quitting the team. She suggested I go to The Sharing. I freaked. The Sharing's always creeped me out though I don't know why.  
I told Melissa I wouldn't _ever_ go there, and I meant it. She ran off then.  
We haven't talked since.  
I slipped on my new shirt while Melissa slipped on her Doc Marten's. We said nothing.  
I tied my Nikes on while Melissa got up. I picked up my other shoe.  
"Hope you're late to class you _bitch_." Melissa spat. Then she left the locker room.  
Stunned, I dropped my shoe. Melissa and I had fought before but she'd never been like this.  
Melissa came from what I can only describe as a "Good Christian" home. No swearing, no drinking, no drugs, nothing like that. And unlike some of the kids I knew who were raised in those kinds of homes, Mel believed in those virtues. She didn't even call Hitler a bastard.

What had happened to my best friend?

~~~~~

I trudged off to Biology. Our teacher, Mr. Garrison, had decided to "up the ante" (his words, not mine) on our science projects. He thought it was about time we get into some serious scientific stuff. Which is why we were learning about fish. We were going to dissect them.  
Mr. Garrison had shoved all the desks into the corner of the room and turned off the lights. The whole class kind of spread out over the tile, making sure we could all see Mr. Garrison's Power Point presentation on the inner workings of fish. The only place I could was next to Tobias.  
We're just friends, by the way. I mean, sure, Tobias is a great guy and all but I don't even know him that well. The last time I dated a guy before getting to know him, I ended up kicking T.J. Johnson in his happy parts. Let's just say I wasn't going to be his "backseat buddy", okay?  
"Rachel!" Tobias whispered, looking at me in surprise. I guess he hadn't noticed I was here.  
"Hey." I whispered back. "How are you?" I asked him.  
Tobias shrugged. "All right, I guess." He whispered. Then he looked up at the presentation.  
"What _is_ that?" He asked me. I shook my head. I had no idea.  
"I think it's a gill." I whispered to Tobias. "I _hope_ it's a gill."  
We decided to turn our attention away from the Fish Show.  
"I didn't see at your locker this morning. What's up?" Tobias whispered.  
All of the sudden, I was glad the classroom was dark. I wasn't blushing or anything, but I was surprised. Kind of flattered, too. I hadn't expected Tobias to notice I was gone.  
"I was talking to Marco and Jake." I answered Tobias. Then I frowned. "Cassie's missing." I said.  
Tobias turned to me. In the dark I could only just make out his face. He looked worried.  
Which was understandable. He and Cassie shared a flashback, so there was kind of a connection between them. Which I was okay with. It's not like Tobias was my boyfriend, despite what my little sisters thought. They'd been bugging me about him ever since he came to help me baby-sit.  
They even got my mom into it. She gave me this huge lecture about how I shouldn't feel ashamed that I was dating, it was fine with her and Tobias seemed like a fine, but shy, young man.

"She's gone?" Tobias asked me. I nodded. "Yeah. Jake's called her. He'll tell me what he knows."  
"Yeah, I'm sure." Tobias whispered. "Besides, Cassie can take of herself." He added.  
"You're probably right." I whispered back. Then I smiled at him. "Thanks, Tobias." I said.  
I'm not sure, since it was so dark, but I think he blushed. "It's nothing." He muttered.  
I gave him a swat on the arm. "Yes it is, you dork." I whispered, leaning up to Tobias's ear to make sure he heard me. Then I pulled away from him. I hadn't noticed how close we were.  
Tobias had turned away from me. I felt embarrassed. "Sorry about that." I whispered.  
"Sometimes I do that around guys. It's..." I started explaining, but Tobias stopped me.  
"Rachel, it's okay." He whispered. So I left it at that and decided to learn more about fish.

The bell didn't ring a minute too soon. Tobias and I left and dumped our books in our lockers.  
Then we walked to lunch. In a one hundred percent platonic kind of way.

~~~~~

Tobias and I were almost to the cafeteria when my life did a 180.

"Rachel!" I heard someone say my name, gasping for breath. "Rachel!" Marco yelled.  
In unison, Tobias and I turned. Marco was in front of the cafeteria, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. That was my first clue that something was very wrong.  
And I wanted to know what. "Marco, what'd you find out? Where's Jake?" I pressed him for info.  
Of course, I kind of forgot he was having trouble breathing. Tobias took him over to a bench nearby and we both waited for Marco to catch his breath again. To tell us what he knew.  
Marco looked me straight in the eyes. I knew his words were for me. "Jake isn't here." He said.  
"Then where is he?" I asked Marco. An expression of annoyance swept his face. Okay, so maybe I was drilling him a little, but I think this situation called for info. Or at least some more details than Jake just not being here. Where could he have gone, anyway?  
"I have no freaking idea. I don't even know what he found out, since he ditched class." Marco said.  
_Oh, hell no._ I thought. _Jake did not just take off. No freaking way._

"Um, he did what?" I asked Marco, filling my voice with all the sugary-feminine-fakeness I could.  
Marco slouched down on the bench and I think he pulled away from me a bit. But he answered me.  
"Jake ditched class." Marco mumbled. I nodded to myself, a plan forming in my head.  
I guess Tobias must've noticed. "Rachel, what are you--" He said, but I put a finger to his lips.  
I smiled. I felt pretty damn proud of myself. "I'm going to find out what's going on here."  
Then I turned to look at both of the boys. "You two will stay and be backup." I said.  
Tobias looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't. Marco just stared at me.  
Then he jumped up to his feet. "Rachel, are you insane?!" Marco shouted.  
"Jake and Cassie have already ditched." He told me, his voice starting to speed up. "Never mind what the hell might be after them, they'll have to deal with Mr. Chapman first and foremost."  
I opened my mouth to tell him about my suspicions, but he kept on talking.  
"How do you think they'll explain all this?" Marco asked me, a look of skepticism on his face.  
"'Oh, Mr. Chapman, we just went off on some wild goose chase involving these weird flashbacks we've been having, and please don't suspend us?'" Marco said, mimicking Cassie and Jake.  
"We're screwed as is!" He shouted. I had to explain my plan before Marco went ballistic.  
"Who said anything about leaving the school?" I asked him. He blinked, not seeing what I meant.  
I looked away from Marco and Tobias. "Look, I think this all started with Mr. Chapman. He called Cassie in, and now she's gone." I told them. I didn't like where my own thoughts were going.  
I bit my lip, feeling guilty about my own ideas. "Melissa Chapman's one of my best friends, and she told me her dad's been acting weird. Robot-like." I told the boys._  
_Then I just said it. "Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but I think he's part of this."  
Tobias and Marco shared a Look, then turned back to me. I sighed and flashed them a smile. Faked.  
"Look, I'm going to try and talk to Melissa." I said.  
"What should we do then, oh fearless Xena?" Marco asked me, smirking. I laughed a little.  
It wasn't that funny but it did help me feel better. So I told them the second part of my plan.

Ax Isthil is new to our school. I hear he's some kind of genius pro-basketball player.  
I don't know how much of that is true. The guy is supersmart, but he doesn't strike me as the athletic type. But I'm pretty sure about one thing. I think he's a part of our team.  
Tobias and Marco had talked to him about it once already, and from Tobias told me, he freaked.  
Funny thing is that he sat with us all at lunch the next day. Seemed eager to talk.  
I wanted Tobias and Marco to scope him out. See if we could trust him or not.  
Or at this point, just if he knew anything at all.  
"Why don't you talk to..." I creased my eyebrows, pretending to think about this.  
I wanted to trick them into agreeing to do this. Tobias, I knew, was kind of ashamed of the whole Ax thing. I don't know about Marco, though. I kind of wanted him to go more than I did Tobias.  
From what Tobias had told me, Marco had been a real asshole to the guy. I wanted to see if he felt any guilt about it. Don't ask me why, maybe it's just that I don't respect bullying and all that bullshit. It's a big part of why I fell out with the Prep Squad.  
"Oh crap, what is that guy's name?" I asked the guys. "Ax?" Tobias asked. Marco gaped at him.  
I snapped my fingers. "Yeah, Ax!" I cried. "Why don't you guys see if he knows anything?" I asked.

Then I ran inside. I had business of my own to attend to.

~~~~~

Melissa had Computer Graphics with Ms. Rosenberg this period. Even if she hated me, I was sure she'd love to get out of the class for a few minutes. Mel doesn't like computers very much. I'm pretty sure she could delete everything off her hard drive without even touching the mouse, that's her luck with technology.  
So I took a long walk down to Ms. Rosenberg's room. It was about as far from the cafeteria as possible. I think whoever built our school was terrified at the idea of teenagers, food, and computers being together in any proximity not exceeding thirty feet. Architects are weird.  
On the way to Ms. Rosenberg's class, I wondered about what was up with Mr. Chapman.  
Melissa had told me he was acting weird, and Cassie didn't even talk to me after they'd met. It reminded me of Tom, my cousin. Jake's brother. We weren't ever all that close, aside from the five zillion and three practical jokes he played on me when we were kids.  
But even I noticed he'd been acting weird. First off he quit the basketball team. This might not sound weird, I mean, Tom could have Senioritis, right? Yeah. Except for the fact that all of Tom's life he's wanted to be a pro basketball player. He's got the talent, too.  
And unlike me he doesn't have to worry that he's too tall to ever make it.  
Jake told me a couple of days ago that I shouldn't come to his house if I could help it.  
Jake told me I can't trust Tom. That he's something called a Controller.  
I think the same thing might be true about Mr. Chapman. The thought chilled me to the bone.  
I mean, sure, he's the principal and if he's a dangerous guy, that isn't good news.  
But he's also one of the owners of The Sharing. Which is like a Boys and Girls club for everyone on the planet be they black, white, male, female, gay, straight, Christian or Muslim.

Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? Sure, but I don't believe in chance. I don't believe in coincidences.  
My friends and I have to be having these flashbacks for some reason and it's all tied in, somehow. Cassie and Tobias's memory of the construction site, mine and Marco's memories of being animals, and Jake's memory of Tom. Somehow it's all connected.  
I just didn't know how yet. And to tell the truth, I'm not all that sure I want to.  
_Think about that later, Rachel. _I told myself._ You need to talk to Mel.  
_So I pushed those thoughts to the back of my head and turned down the hall to Ms. Rosenberg's room. It was the third room down the hall.

__

Comm. Graphics:  
Go to the Library for the Collage project.

Great. I thought to myself. I'd wanted to talk to Mel in private, but I didn't know how well I could pull that off in the library._ I have to try, though. _I told myself._  
_So I got ready to go to the library and at least try and talk to my ex-best friend.  
At least, before other things interrupted that plan_._

I saw a tall man in a gray suit walking down the hall. He stopped in front of Mr. Pardue's old room. Right now, he was teaching in the art room since Mr. Osbourne only worked part-time.  
I jumped to the edge of the hall and hid behind the wall until I heard Gray Suit Man open the door. I heard him close it shut. Then I snuck out back into the hall.  
For a moment, I remembered my memory of being a cat. If there was ever I time I wished I could do that, now was it. So I'd just have to do the next best thing.  
I double-checked to make sure I was the only one around. Then I crawled down to Mr. Pardue's old room and put my ear to the door. I could make out a voice, male and deep. Mr. Gray Suit.  
"I've dealt with Illim 136 and his host." Mr. Gray Suit said. "They are no longer a threat."  
"Good to know." Murmured another voice. I couldn't tell if it was male or female.  
"That sniveling fatso ticked me off." The voice went on. "Did it hurt?" They asked.  
"Did what hurt?" Gray Suit Man asked.  
"The killing, you dumb fuck!" Cried the voice. That was when I pulled away from the door.  
"Did you make sure it hurt?" The voice asked, becoming excited. "Did he feel the pain?"  
"As per your instructions, Iniss 666." Said Gray Suit Man.  
"Good, Niar 253!" The voice cried. Enthusiastic over someone else's pain. Oh god. Oh, god.  
I stood up then. I ran out of the hall as fast as my legs would take me.  
I'm not sure if I was running from them or the sharp, hot pain I felt in my heart.  
All I know is by the time I tumbled into the bathroom I was a wreck.  
I just sat there staring up at the ceiling and sobbing. I wasn't sure when the tears would stop.  
At some point I dragged myself over to one of the stalls so no one could see me.  
The only other time in my life I ever cried like that was when I found out Mom and Dad were getting a divorce. But this time, I didn't have Mom hugging me, Dad telling me it would be all right and I wasn't to blame, or even little Jordan clutching my hand.

And I sure as hell didn't have Melissa to talk to during Gymnastics, to listen to me gripe about my parents and understand, even though her Mom and Dad were The Perfect American Couple. I had no Melissa to gush over Jeremy Jason McCole with, or to confess to that I liked Alan, the annoying down the block. No Mel to freak out with when I had my period. No Melissa to always remind me that I was an awesome person no matter what Tiffany and her dips thought of me.  
No best friend to tell about all the scary stuff that was happening to me. I lost my best friend.  
For good this time. Forever.  
Melissa, my best friend since second-grade, had become someone I didn't even know.

And it was all my fault.

****

Don't Kill Me! (reader response)

Stormwing - Yeah, everyone was pretty suspicious last chapter, weren't they?  
Whoa. Shocked you had a daydream about my fic, but I guess I should be flattered. And, hey, Ax isn't so bad! I feel like I have to defend him now because everybody doesn't like him...  
This fanfic is going to be LONG. It's actually going to be a series of three different fics (that's why this one is named "Chronicle One") and close to 20 or 15 chapters a fic. Which means a lot of writing for me. But since it's summer now, I've got lots of time to write. And David will be in this. Dunno 'bout the Prof. Quirrel in this fic, if he's all evil and whatnot. And trust me, we'll have plenty more HP Teachers show up. Ha! Percy'd be awesome!  
And yes, Marco doesn't have a life, but HE doesn't think that. Um, my suggestion for a name...Naomi Triola. I don't know where Triola's from, though, it just popped into my head.

****

Puar Briefs - Yes, I'm having Marco confuse Ax for David and you can bet that's going to be a big deal later on. And trust me, Ax is going to get the identity crisis from hell. It's not just going to be his friends/the Andalites that he'll have to choose. And he WILL find out the truth. And you're like, the only person to realize he isn't that bad. Yay!  
I didn't even notice that gray/grey thing. Stupid spellchecker...I'll go fix that now...  
And you have your McGonagall. I liked Ismene, too...I don't know if Antigoine was sane or not. Considering the rest of her family, though, I'd say she had a pretty stable head on her shoulders. I mean, finding out your dad is your brother would mess anybody up.  
And you're all INSANE! Sorry, I've been wanting to do that for a long time. =P

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Aelle - Glad you liked it, and just so you know, you spelled engross right. And I will update, and Ax is kind of a jerk right now...I think I'm the only person who likes him, but then I keep forgetting that I'm the only one who knows/gets why he's like this, so I guess that's it.

****

Neri, Princess of the Oceans - Yep, Marco has brains. Isn't it a shocker? And I HAD seven kittens. One of them died because he was deformed...actually, I would've had TEN kittens had none of them died. Three others died 'cuz their mommy wasn't making milk when they were born. But on the happy side, I know have SIX big, fluffy furry kittens running around my house. And I can't look at them because then I'll drop whatever I'm doing to play with them. Their names are Checkers, Toey, Buster, Little, Surprise, and Butch. We can't keep them, though.  
And you've got a point about Tobias and Ax being in school...but KAA did have good reasons for making Tobias a hawk (it did keep people reading), and Ax couldn't quite enroll, could he?  
Actually, maybe he could have...but the others would have to train him to stop stuttering and eating everything he saw. Too much work I guess. And, um, Ax is next. Don't kill me! I have good reasons for waiting to put Tobias last! I guess you're right about him getting a lot of spotlight, it's just that I feel I need to throw him in to remind people he's still around since he's not a part of the gang yet. And he's very important in this part of the story. In the next two parts his role won't be as big. And the "Recon Girl" bit was just kinda Rachel and Marco nonsense. I dunno if it was supposed to be funny -- but Recon Girl, is I think kind of like "Rescue Girl" or "Information Girl". Does that answer your question?

****

Lisa-Ann - Huh, I guess I'm lucky. My Biology teacher was cool and I liked learning about living things, as opposed to the Physics and Chemistry I learned this year...and I was joking about the minions thing! You're not really my minion! Unless, well, you want to be, I guess.  
Gah, don't go bald! Oh god, the hairdresser's daughter in me is coming out! **screams**  
Anyway, glad you liked the chapter and you DO have a reason to be freaked out by those Controllers. Guess I'm facing the wrath of the brats for updating late, huh? **sighs** It was a good life...=P

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DawnOfEast - Yay, it's picking up! Though I guess this chapter was more emotional than action-packed, but it kind of had to be, if that makes sense...and I guess you still owe me own reviews, but I don't care. And I broke 100 reviews? Heck yeah, we should celebrate!  
Glad you liked this chapter and the dreams. As for Marco...I guess we just view him differently. I've always thought that yeah, while he's always joking about girls and flirting like mad, he's really kind of scared about actually getting into a relationship, since he lost his mom when he was so young and saw how that screwed his dad up. Hence the way he acts with Rachel.  
Did that answer your question? And hey, I'm always glad to have a minion. =P

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Patrick Blah - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm going to try and stop being so lazy about updating. Thank god it's Summer Vacation now! Hey, are you giving me premission to slack off for five months before I update again? Cause I do that, you know. =) And as for David...he'll have his place in this. That's all I'm saying for now.

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Stink E. Burrito (SEB) - Hey! **waves** Have you caught up yet? And, well, I would slow down...but all these other people wanna kill me for it...anyway, I'm glad you reviewed, though! Getting feedback is good!

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MysticSaphyre - I'm glad you liked this chapter, oh just so you know, this will be an in-depth emotional fic most of the time, though I'm going to sneak in some action and giggles now and then. And I LOVE Trust, but I think you know that already. And I agree with you about the "dark side" (I can't think of a better phrase) to J/C.

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Doctor Strangelove - I should've made Marco start rambling about how a flaming idiot is different from a flaming homosexual. Or a flaming bisexual, considering it's Marco talking...but I think that's too much of a slashy hint than I need to put in the story right now. And of course the Ax stuff was weird, Ax is ALWAYS weird. =P Weird acronym, too. MOO, MOO! **coughs** Sorry. I just got the B3 DVD set last week and it's affected my sanity...mostly 'cause I still have one more disc to go...glad you like Jake. And, hey, straight Tom will be fun! I swear, he'll be cool.  
And I'm pretty sure Marco will come out to Jake, though I know for sure the first person he's gonna tell is Rachel. Weasley tall blonde she is. I think you should write a Marco coming-out-to-Jake scene, though. That'd be cool. Or an Ax-coming-out-to-Elfangor scene. That'd be cool, too. And I'm ditching the musical idea and replacing it with a chapter much more like "The Wish". But since now I'm not doing a musical, you have to write one. I'll never update again if you don't. =P Marco/Spike...oh god, why did I ever suggest that? But I'm sure it'll be a fun read, to say the least. In my head Ax always sounds like Nightcrawler from X2. Is that weird?  
And write "I Am Jake" now or I'll steal Jeffrey and use him against you.

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DH - Wow. You're like, one of the few people who doesn't try to kill me when I'm late! Thanks! I'm not planning on giving up on this story anytime soon, so don't worry. =)

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Freak Apple - Hey, look, I updated again! =P I like using TV/Movie characters for my teachers, since most of them won't be in the story much and I can find out who's watching/reading/whatevering the same stuff I am. But it'd be fun to use my real teachers, too. 'Cept I like my teachers...wow, you're like Marco? No, you can't be! The Animorphs site said _I_ was like Marco! Oh wait, that's site's full of crap. Never mind. Be as much like Marco as you want. =P I'm sorry people cheat in Rock, Paper, Scissors. That's mean.  
AHHH! Your cobwebs are scary! Make them go away!!! I'll update more, I promise!


	12. Chapter Eleven: Ax

Author's Note: I did it! I freaking finally did it! I dunno if the end result is worth the wait, though. **worries** Part of why this took so long is because, well, it's really long. And I was also worried it might be too long. And also, I've been having trouble sleeping all freaking week.  
I think it's an okay chapter...but, geez, I really didn't expect to be so blocked about it. Arrrgh! Hopefully Tobi's chap will be better.  
And, as to the complaints about the lack of action so far -- rest assured, everybody. One more chapter and then things are going to be out-of-control. Or at the very least, sped up a heckuva lot. Oh! And if I don't update again this week, know it's because I'm going to Oklahoma for the weekend. I hope you guys like it, and that the next one's better...  
And, by the way, now I know which of my readers watch South Park. =P

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"If you scatter thorns, don't go barefoot." - Italian Proverb 

* * *

**-Chapter Eleven-  
Ax **

My name is Ax Isthil and I'm very confused.

Then again, I'm a sixteen year old male adolescent. A little confusion is normal at this point in my life, I suppose. But I don't know if what I'm going through would be construed as "normal".  
It all started my first day at George Washington High. First week of living with Loren and the Demon Dog. The day I met Hendrick Chapman.  
The truth is, I'm not the kind of person to stand up to authority. I never have been.  
Which doesn't help when Principal Chapman knows how to push my buttons in the first place.  
But it was because of Chapman that I ended up meeting _them_.  
Jake and Rachel Berenson, Marco Jones, Cassie Branch, and Tobias Avan. I wish we'd never met.  
No, they aren't my friends. They never were, either, as far as I know. I've never quite been a friends-having guy. I don't know why, but my whole life I've kind of been an outcast.  
Sometimes, it feels like maybe I _am_ alien, foreign to this planet we call Earth.  
I know that's ridiculous, though. After all, I _am_ human, aren't I?

Even if I remember being something else.

Loren's knuckles were chalk white as she gripped the steering wheel.  
"You'll be all right while I'm gone, won't you?" She asked me. Ever since I'd fainted, Loren was monitoring my health non-stop. Finding me passed on in my room had been a shock for her.  
I still hadn't told her _why_ I'd fainted. The doctor had said that there appeared to be no reason for my lapse of conscious, except perhaps an accumulation of stress. He assured Loren that I was in fine health, though she should make sure I stay that way.  
"I will be fine. Ine." I stuttered. I did that on occasion, in particular around food.  
Loren bit her lip as she reached the stop sign. She looked at me. "You're sure, Ax?" She asked.  
"Yes, I am sure." I said for at least the fiftieth time, and I'm making no exaggeration.  
"It's just," Loren sighed. "I've been taking in kids for a while, but you're my first teenager."  
Her eyes were on the road, waiting for the light to change. But her words were to me.  
"And I--I know you're special. But I also know your other families haven't always thought that. So, I mean, I can understand if you want to keep things from me." Loren said.  
"But I'd love to help you with stuff. Teachers, cliques, girl troubles..." She continued.  
"Well, as much as I _can_ help you with girl troubles." She amended. I laughed.  
The light went from red to green and Loren sped the car forward.  
"I'm just worried about leaving you alone after what happened." Loren told me.  
She turned the corner and made her way into the school's parking lot.  
"I'm pretty sure it won't happen again." I told Loren. Which was true, I did believe that.  
"And I believe you should enjoy this time with your friends." I added.  
The reason Loren was even leaving me in the first place was because of a dinner she'd scheduled with her fellow co-workers before I'd fainted in my room. To tell the truth, it was only at my insistence that she didn't cancel the date. Loren parked the car and I stepped out.  
"Have a good day, Ax." Loren said. I smiled at her.  
"You too, Loren." I said.  
Loren glared at me, faking a disgruntled demeanor. "That's Loren, Ax." She said.  
I grinned. "I know, Loren." I said.  
Loren stuck her tongue out at me. "Oh, just go, you troublemaker." She said, waving me away.  
"All right, Loren." I said. Loren shook her head and drove away.  
Then I went into the building, feeling rather good about the day ahead.

~~~

"So, you're supposed to be some kind of super-genius, right?"  
I turned around just as he made his shot. The ball went through the net with a clear, soft whoosh.  
Then he caught the ball as it was coasting down to the ground. He started dribbling it again.  
I'd forgotten his name. Of course, it was just my second day on the team, so I guess that's okay. Except I had this thought in the back of my mind that I _should_ have known his name.  
Like there was something that separated him from my other teammates, aside from his skill.  
Another shot. This time it bounced off the rim. "I mean, you're like, a genius, right?" He asked.  
"Huh?" I asked. I hadn't been paying attention. I was lost in my own thoughts.  
To tell the truth, I was glad for a distraction. For someone to talk to, at least.  
"Well, that's what I've heard." He said, dribbling the ball between his legs as he talked.  
Then he tossed the ball to me. At the last split second, I caught it. "So, is it true?"  
I tossed the ball back to him. "Yeah." I said, "But it's no big deal."  
He laughed, taking his time to shoot the ball again. This time I ran up and caught it.  
"You know who you remind me of?" He asked me as he jutted his arm out, trying to knock the ball out of my hands. I dodged him and threw the ball over his tall frame. Right through the hoop.  
"Who?" I asked him as he caught the ball while it falling back down to the court.  
"My little brother." He said as I tried, but failed, to get the ball from him. "Jake."  
The ball fell out of Tom's hands. I hadn't even realized I touched it, let alone taken it from him. Tom. That was his name. Tom Berenson. Jake's brother.  
Once I realized who he was I couldn't believe I hadn't remembered sooner. It was so obvious.  
They had the same build, though Jake was just a bit shorter by an inch or two. Their faces were almost identical as well, except that Tom's haircut was of a different style than Jake's.  
Tom also had a different way of carrying himself. There was a certain kind of confidence in his movements that was lacking in Jake. A determination that Jake was missing. It was like Tom knew his purpose in life. Like he had a mission that he was just waiting to fulfill.  
Tom had gotten the ball from me again. That was when Coach Derricks blew the whistle.

We all assembled in front of Coach Derricks. That was when I noticed that we had a different waterboy. The past two days, our waterboy had been a tall and skinny red-haired boy.  
Today our waterboy was a guy with a pretty average build and a mop of brown hair. There was a slight resemblance between him and Jake. As I looked at him, I felt a cold chill go down my spine. It wasn't unlike the feeling I'd experienced the first time I'd seen Tobias or the others.  
Though, I must admit, the feeling came with less intensity than it had with, say, Marco.  
"Who's the new kid, coach?" asked Mullins, a pretty muscular guy.  
"This is, um, Erek." said Coach Derricks. Then his brows knitted in concentration. "Erek..."  
"King." Erek interjected as he handed a black-haired, bespectacled boy a bottle of water.  
"Yeah, that's it." Coach Derricks said. "Erek King." The boy smiled and handed a bottle to Tom.  
Tom took the bottle from Erek's hands and drank. Then Erek handed a bottle to me.  
I bent down to take the bottle, since Erek was kneeling on the ground. That was when I noticed that he was studying me. There was the tiniest flicker of surprise in his eyes.  
"You're Axim-Ax, right?" He asked me. I nodded, wondering why Erek was stuttering.  
Erek smiled. "Glad to meet you, Ax." He said.  
Then I took the water bottle from him and shoved Erek's weird behavior to the back of my mind.  
After that, we all headed to the locker room. I'd just like to take this moment to say that I'm not quite sure how I got on the basketball team. Well, that's not quite accurate. I do understand the events that lead to my being asked to be a part of the team, but I'm not sure where my newfound skill at the game has come from. I've never been much of an athlete.  
But now I'm playing the game like I've been doing it my whole life. I don't understand.  
I opened my locker, pulled out my clothes and began to change.  
"Anybody got the time?" shouted someone down at the other end of the room.  
"Eighty fifty-six!" I shouted back without even thinking about it.  
I've always been able to know the time. It's like I have an internal clock, in a literal sense.  
Yet another thing about myself that I don't understand.  
Tom, who just two lockers down from me, laughed. "How d'you know?" He asked me.  
I shrugged. "I just do." I said. Tom took that in, an expression almost like awe in his eyes.  
"That's cool." He said, pulling a gray sweater on. "I wish I could do that, maybe that way I wouldn't be late to class so often, you know what I mean? So, it's like an internal clock?"  
"Yes. Something like that." I said, putting on my plaid T-shirt.  
Tom nodded to himself as he laced up one of his sneakers. "Awesome." He muttered.  
The bell rang and most of the team bolted from the locker room. I myself was getting ready to leave, slinging my backpack over my shoulder, but Tom stopped me.  
"Hey, Isthil! Wait a sec!" He cried. So I did.  
"Look, I know I'm going to sound stupid saying this, but I've noticed you aren't the, uh, most friendly guy on the planet. But y'know, if you ever need a friend -- or just a place to go every now and then, well, I'd like to help you." Tom told me.  
I just stood there, gaping at him. It's not like it was the first time I'd had someone offer me their friendship, but I hadn't been expecting it. At the very least, not from Tom.  
"Well, I've gotta get to class." Tom muttered, shoving his sneaker over his foot and picking up his backpack. He didn't even look at me as he walked past. On an impulse, I shouted after him.  
"Tom!" I cried. "Tom, I--" I wasn't sure what to say. So I settled on something simple. "Thanks."  
Tom turned around and smiled at me. "No problem." He said. "See ya around sometime."

I went to Latin then, but lucky me, I wound up in Chapman's office. Again.

~~~

"So you don't have any new information for me?" Principal Chapman asked me.  
He was pacing around his office, as if he was worried someone would barge in on the two of us.  
I'd have loved if it someone had. "No, I haven't." I whispered.  
"That's a shame. I'd have hoped you dug up something new, Isthil." Chapman said.  
I looked down at the forest green carpet of Chapman's office. I found myself studying the individual, frayed fibers. It was easier to do than to look up at Chapman's face.  
"After all, there's already some wild rumors going around the school." Chapman said.  
I looked up. Chapman, who was facing the wall, hadn't noticed. He turned to face me.  
It took every bone in my body not to squirm under his gaze.  
"Have you heard those rumors, Isthil?" Chapman asked me. I shook my head.  
I was telling Chapman the truth this time. I hadn't heard any rumors, in part because I can't be bothered to listen to gossips. Even if the gossip had to do with me. Which I hoped it didn't.  
"Well, I'm sure you know that shoddy construction site by the mall?" Principal Chapman asked me.  
I nodded. Yes, I knew it. In fact, Loren and had I spent half an hour trying to figure out why in the world they hadn't cleared the place up, since as Loren told me, they ended up canceling the building of whatever they _were_ going to put in the construction site.  
In the end we decided to compromise our theories. We believe it is haunted by alien ghosts.  
"There was a...fireworks incident there earlier this week." Chapman informed me.  
Then he laughed. "Some people think they saw UFO's. Can you believe that?" He asked, incredulous.  
I wanted to inform Chapman that while the possibility of other sentient species living in our own solar system did not have a high probability, the chance that Earth was the only planet that supported life was a near impossibility. However, I kept my mouth shut.  
I didn't need Chapman guessing anything. "That's ridiculous." I said, keeping up the act.  
"Glad to see you agree, Isthil." Chapman said, flashing me a thin-lipped smile.  
He placed his hands on his desk and looked me straight in the eyes.  
"Rumors of UFOs, kids fainting for no reason, that could lead to chaos." Principal Chapman said.

Now. The time was now, if I wanted to fool him.

"I, I don't understand what those two things have in common." I said to Chapman.  
Chapman frowned, then shook his head. "Well, people might start getting suspicious, you know."  
"Ah." I said, taking a moment to breathe an internal sigh of relief. "I see now." I added.

Chapman didn't even suspect. He had no idea that I'd hidden the truth from him.  
Because, you see, the fainting did have a connection with that old abandoned construction site.  
I'd learned that when I'd eaten with them at lunch. With Tobias, Cassie, and the others.  
They trusted me and told me what they knew about what was happening to them. About their shared flashbacks of aliens, of becoming animals, and of some kind of enemy. They had trusted me with their secret. Some of them less than the others, but they had hid nothing from me.  
It meant a lot. More than I like to admit.  
I think they thought that maybe I was one of them. I don't know if that's true.  
After all, they were all friends and let's face facts; I'll never be their friend.

Even if I want to be.

"Well, I know you haven't found anything new." Chapman said to me. "But check the files again at lunch, would you, Isthil? I'd appreciate it. We don't want any crazy rumors going around, do we?"  
I shook my head. "Of course not, Mr. Chapman." I said.  
"Hendrick." Chapman reprimanded. "Call me Hendrick, Ax." He told me.  
I nodded, feeling a need to get out as quick as I could. "Of course, Hendrick." I said.  
Chapman smiled at me. "That's right. Well, why don't you skeedaddle on to class now?" He asked.  
"I'll do that, sir." I whispered, closing the door behind me.

I felt like I was going exhale my breakfast. My own guilt was making me sick.  
I ended up walking it off, though, and headed to the computer lab. Third period was almost over, anyway. Nobody would miss me.  
Then again, I didn't know anyone would come looking for me.

~~~

I've gotten more or less familiar with the layout of the high school. Perhaps I'm a bit more familiar with the cafeteria than any other part of the establishment, but nonetheless, I'm proud to say I know my way around GWHS. It hadn't taken as long to understand as most of the other schools I've attended during my academic career. In a way, this school seems familiar.  
Almost like I'm not a new student. Like I have some brief knowledge about the building.  
Which, I know, is impossible. Until I moved in with Loren, I'd never set a foot in California, New Jersey, but parts of the town seem familiar to me. The mall in particular.  
I can't explain it. Nevertheless, though, this innate knowledge of the school led me to take the shortcut to the computer lab. Most people take the long six-minute trek.  
They're not aware that you can cut through the library and reach the lab at any time.  
For a moment I pondered the idea of going to lunch with Tobias and the others.  
Then I remembered what had happened the last time that I had done that. I had upset Cassie, caused her to start crying. No, it wasn't my intention, but I still felt bad about it.  
And I'm not oblivious. I had noticed how at least one of them, who shall remain nameless, did not trust me. I didn't want to deal with that, either, because I knew they all had good reason to be suspicious of me. I did not want to come to terms with my own confusion and guilt.  
So I decided to help Chapman. Or at least pretend to.  
One good thing about this school is the general emptiness of the computer lab. It helps when one is doing things that may or may not be illegal with the school computers.  
At least, it helped until I heard I heard footsteps coming my way.

"Hey." A voice said.  
I looked up for a second, and not recognizing the speaker in the dark, I turned back to the monitor. I was busy playing Tetris after all. Then I thought for a moment.  
And then I had to grab the desk in front of me to keep from falling out of my chair.  
"Hello." I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Trying to seem less suspicious if I could.  
"Marco, wasn't it?" I asked. I didn't have to look behind me to know he was rolling his eyes.  
"You know my name, Ax." He hissed. "Stop fooling around, I need to talk to you." He added.  
I felt a chill go down my spine. For a brief moment, I recalled my meeting earlier with Chapman.  
"Why?" I asked, pressing the ENTER key as I submitted my score under the alias bL|_|.  
I could tell that, behind me, Marco was trying to peek over my head to see what I was doing.  
In a way it was kind of amusing. Also, it distracted me from wondering why he was here. Which was in all respects a good thing, since I had a "bad feeling" that Chapman was involved in it.  
And in that respect so was I.  
"It's about Cassie and Jake." Marco whispered. I felt my blood go to ice. I stopped typing.  
Cassie and Jake. I hadn't known them well by any means, but I'd liked them. They were nice to me, Cassie in particular. What in the world was happening? I turned around to face Marco.  
"What's happened?" I asked him. I saw him looking at me, taking in my reaction without a word.  
I saw a glimmer of a suspicion in his eyes. A suspicion directed towards me.  
I felt sick deep inside, in part because I knew Marco had good reason for that suspicion.  
But I didn't want to admit that to myself, him, or anyone else.  
"Cassie ditched school and we don't know where Jake is." He told me.  
"Cassie ditched?" I asked him. _Oh, no._ I thought to myself. _It's Chapman._  
"I have no idea why." I told Marco, lying through my teeth as I recalled the what Chapman had told me, after I'd gone to him the first time. After meeting Tobias and Marco. Before I'd met Cassie and the others. Chapman had told me he'd call in my little friends. Get the story from them.  
I felt Marco's eyes scouring me. He'd caught me in my lie and we both knew it.  
"Rachel says it might have something to do with Principal Chapman." Marco whispered.  
I laughed, though it resembled a croak more than anything else. _What have I done?_ I wondered.  
"Rachel's nuts." I scoffed. "Chapman doesn't have any reason to be after Cassie." I told Marco.  
Which was the truth, in a way. All Chapman knew about Cassie was that she'd fainted for, as far as Chapman knew, no reason. "It's not like..." I said, then I paused.  
I'd betrayed them and yet I hadn't. I hadn't told their secret but I had given someone enough of a clue, if that had the brains to put some kind of two and two together. No, Chapman did not know the whole story. I had not given him that. But Chapman already suspected it might have something to do with the construction site from the rumors that were flying around the school.  
In confirming that Cassie and the others had undergone something strange, I had given him a clue.  
"It's not like what, Ax?" Marco asked me. "What doesn't Chapman know about us?"  
I ended up telling him the truth. It was all I had to give.  
"It's not like he knows, you know, about everything." I whispered. I couldn't look at him.

Marco left then; more suspicious of me than he'd been when he entered the lab.  
I can't say I blame him. I would be suspicious of me if I was in his shoes.

I went back to the computer and closed my game of Tetris. For a brief second, I considered the ramifications of what I was about to do. I could have had a lot going for me at GWHS and in this city. With Loren, with the basketball team. All of those were good prospects.  
In retrospect, I suppose that I still had a lot going for me.  
But that potential was what Hendrick Chapman had used against me. What was a bright, new future for me versus some grunt work for my principal? Grunt work that might've harmed someone else.  
But not me. And not anyone that I'd known, or had wanted to, at the time.  
It was selfish and it was naive of me to assume that there wouldn't be a price to pay.  
I had meddled in affairs where I had not belonged all because I was too scared to say no.

But I still had the power to help. And at least I wouldn't be going down alone.

~~~

I left the computer lab when the bell for homeroom rang. I hurried my way down the hall.  
Until I ran into someone. "I'm sorr--" I didn't even get to finish my apology before I hit the ground, courtesy of a sneakered foot. "Watch where you're going, freak." A voice sneered.  
Then I heard that same voice shout in surprise. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
"I'm _going_ to teach you a lesson if you don't apologize, you jerk." A girl's voice hissed.  
I recognized that voice. Rachel! I grabbed my books and got back on my feet.  
I saw Rachel grabbing a tall, repulsive-looking boy's arm. Or to be more accurate, squeezing it.  
To the point where I could see the limb turning purple.  
Rachel herself looked disheveled. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she'd been crying. Except that didn't match with the cold, steel anger in her icy blue eyes. Anger for my sake.  
"Ow! Jeez, let me go!" The guy whined. Rachel dug her nails into the boy's arm. "Ow!" He yelled.  
"Fine, fine, I'm sorry!" He shouted, then directed his next words at Rachel. "Nutcase." He spat.  
Rachel let go of his arm. The boy ran off. I just stared at Rachel, shocked.  
It was like I'd just witnessed some wild animal being let loose from a cage.  
Rachel turned her eyes away me as she bent down to pick up a pencil that I'd forgotten.  
I had no idea what to say to her. I was grateful that she'd stood up for me, but yet, it was like I was seeing a whole new side of her that I don't think Rachel was even aware of.  
Rachel got up and handed me the pencil. As I took it, her eyes flicked down to study my outfit.

"No." She said, shaking her head. She looked me in the eyes. "No, you are _not_ wearing that."  
I looked down at my clothes, beyond confused. "Why? What's wrong with it?" I asked Rachel.  
Rachel looked at me like I was the most idiotic person in the galaxy. "It's plaid." She said.  
"I like it." I said, looking down at my plaid shirt. I'd bought it just a few days ago.  
"It's _plaid_." Rachel repeated, speaking as if she was explaining this to a toddler.  
"I like plaid." I said, having an acute awareness of the idiocy of my words.  
Rachel just shook her head, pity painted all over her face. "You're a lost cause." She said.  
Then she started to walking to class and I remembered one of the two things I meant to say.  
"Rachel!" I cried. She turned around to face me. "Thank you." I said.  
She seemed stunned at my words but I saw a smile creep over her face. "No problem." She said.

The rest of that school day passed by without event, aside from discovering that my Algebra teacher, Mr. Bender, had decided that Marco and I would make an excellent pair as far as our next assignment was concerned. I believe Mr. Bender is suffering from severe delusions.  
At practice, Tom had invited me to go with him to The Sharing once we were done.  
The Sharing, I have learned, is sort of like a Boys and Girls club for all humanity. It's a nice concept, I must admit. But I had to decline Tom's offer. I had things of my own to attend to.

After what happened in the computer lab, I increased my collection of school files.

I had added a member of the staff to my collection.

Hendrick Chapman.

****

Ahoy, Maties! (reader's response)

Puar Briefs - Well, I think people dislike Ax in this fic because so far he _has_ been acting like a jerk. As far as the Animorphs know, Ax has sold them out. Okay, so only Marco knows that...but still...and personally, I love Ax. He's one of my favorite characters. (Marco and Rachel are ties) And I like Draco because he's one of those bad guys you can't help but like at least a little. And he's always kind-of self-absorbed in most fics I read, which is pretty funny.  
**shrugs** Tracey's okay. I don't hate him, but I don't love him. I'm more of a Misty gal myself. Or Richie. I would've liked to see more about Richie -- maybe Tracey and he can join the Twerp Trio. Oh, and Gary, too. Because I like Gary and he's fun. I like it when he and Ash are friends. Lovers not so much, because I just can't see Ash leaning that way. But I'm getting off-topic.  
And, um, is the Roman Emperor you're talking of Nero? Or Caesar? God, I'm imaging that mixed with Antigoine...not good. And, yes, Rachel has a heart. =) I thought the height stuff would be a good throw-in. Oh my gosh! I did forget Rachel's catchphrase, didn't I? I'll have to throw that in soon. I would've thrown in a flashback when Marco said "You're insane!", but I thought that part was kind of dragging already, so I didn't. Which is also why I decided to have Ax have a flashback when Marco called him "Ax-man". I'll do both sometime, though.  
And I'm glad you liked my portrayal of the Chapmans. I was afraid people might think I was going a limb with it, but Mel really reminds me of this friend of mine back when she used to be uber-religious conservative-gal. 'Course now, she's WAY liberal, but that's where I got the link, though. And I liked that scene where Ax refused to be a torturer, too. =)

****

Freak Apple - Yep, Marian's that girl Marco went to the symphony-thing with. She'll pop up now and then. And yep, Mr. Garrison's the psycho puppet guy from South Park.  
Yep, I like my teachers. They're pretty cool. Yours sound horrible, though. Well...I'm still gonna try the job thing, but not for a couple of weeks since I'm going on a trip. Besides, the one place that almost hired me (Subway) never called back. Oh well.

****

Doctor Strangelove - **takes Jefferey in retribution for the lack of "I Am Jake"**  
MWAHAHA! He's mine, he's...**Jefferey cuts** OW! Goddamn knife! That was my _finger_!  
I'm glad you like Rachel, and no, Melissa isn't sleeping with Tom yet. But that's coming...no pun intended. I hope you enjoyed this chapter's WAS. And acronymns ARE fun.  
Glad you liked Ms. Rosenberg and Mr. Garrison. There was also a Mr. Osbourne, but I haven't decided yet if he's the Green Goblin-y kind or the werewolf-y kind. Or if I should have Ms. Rosenberg linked with Ms. McClay or Mr. Osbourne, assuming he's wolfy. Or maybe they could all just have a torrid affair? Hmm. Yes, give straight Tom a chance. And you're right about the Tom slash, 'cuz the only person other than Marco he's been slashed with is Jake. I was gonna write an Ax/Tom once, though. But I never figured out the plot...and Tom was a sadistic bastard. Or well, his _yeerk_ was. I also can't remember if the real Tom was straight or gay.  
But I like the freed-Tom idea. We also need more Tom fic, period. "Awakening" was gonna be a Tom fic, somewhat, before I decided to give up on it. Funny enough, it was gonna be Mel/Tom, too. I like those two together but I don't know why. I like to think of this fic as a less depressing version of "The Wish". Marco's a white hat, actually. And I'm debating whether Rachel or Ax will be the dominatrix, but I think it'll be Rach. Awww, dang, no musical! At least not for a while. =( You know, the first fic idea I ever came up was this AU where the Animorphs were a famous rock band...that was a WEIRD fic.  
And transvestite Marco? MY EYES! THEY BURN! And it's official, Ax = Nightcrawler.  
And thank for the puppy dog eyes, but I prefer them in the puppy. Or "I Am Jake".  
**holds up Jefferey threateningly until it cuts her again and jumps out of her hand** Dammit.

****

Myst - Yes, read my fic! =P Read it lots and lots and lots! And the corny excuses to get Cassie to the Sharing are in those chapters you haven't read yet. And, yes, Chapman's Yeerk still can't control him. And wow, I write Cassie well? Good to know. About Rachel's "Xena-ness", though, I think that "I'm a strong warrior" belief has always been a part of her, though maybe not conciously. And why wouldn't she know Xena? I always thought Rachel was the type to look for strong chick role models, although again perhaps not conciously. And Xena was always pretty infamous where I grew up. Even if you didn't watch it, you kind of knew about it. And yes, the C/J is a-comin'. Glad you like Visser 3, too. I hope I made him creepy enough...and, ah, go ahead and guess plots. I won't mind. Also, I'd pay _anyone_ who advertises my fic -- but I'm lacking in the money department. Hence the trying to find a job.

****

DJ Eagle - Glad you liked the chapter and the Rachel/Melissa and Rachel/Tobias stuff. And your name's Tom? Cool! **thinks for a sec** Or else I read that wrong and I'm really stupid...

****

Stink E. Burrito (SEB) - Please don't sue me, I don't even have fifty cents to my name.  
And whoops, I slowed down again, sorry. I hope you didn't hemmorage in the meantime. That'd be sad. And really, really gross.

****

Neri - Huh, you're right, they could've enrolled Ax. It coulda worked. Too bad they didn't. And, yeah, I know it's repetitive. It won't stay that way after Tobias's chapter, but I wanted to show the different perspectives this time around. And there's some will-be-important stuff that I would've had to cut out if I hadn't written the chapters that way. Does that make sense? But, what happens next, you ask? Utter mayhem.  
Kittens are awesome, but yeah, one died. Actually, that's just after the momma cats started making milk. One of them started having her babies too early and three of them died because of it. So, actually, four died. But we have six running around the house, but I'll have ta give 'em away soon. Sorry about the lack of HP Ref. I'll try to make it up somehow. And yep, HP5 is almost here! What are the yeerks planning? I can't tell you, that's a surprise! And I have no idea how to pronounce yeerk. And yes, there will be more flashbacks. Don't worry. And Tobias is next. Glad you liked the chapter and it's cool you picked up on how Rachel's changing.

****

Lisa-Ann - I would like to avoid a lynching if possible. But, since I was butt-lazy slow in updating, that's not possible, is it? I don't mind the not-being-my-minion. After all, a girl needs a few equals! Or at least arch-nemises, which would be writer's block in my case.  
And I fixed the typo, thanks for catching that. Or at least, I _think_ I fixed the typo.  
And as for action, it's coming. Really. These chapters have been setting it up, mostly. Tobias's chapter will at least have a hint of where things are going to go...which, I'm happy to note that no one's caught onto yet. =) And please don't let the brats eat me. I'd prefer the lynching.

****

DawnOfEast - Glad the Marco thing's been cleared up. And I think it's fun to write Rachel before the war. As to whether she'll go nuts, I think this chapter has a clue for you. But unlike in the series, she might actually get better in this fic.

****

lovelyinsanity - Hey, glad you're happy about being in the reader response. And I'm glad you liked the new chapter. Personally, I wouldn't recommend flaming in the first place. But maybe that's just cause I laugh at my flamers -- but then again, the one flamer I did have...they flamed my _Goosebumps_ fic that had absolutely nothing objectionable in it! Or without seeing if the others chapters got any better! **shrug** I don't mind if you talk and talk on, though, that's okay. I do it too. =)

****

Patrick Blah - I am kidding about the five-month thing. But, hey, one day? It usually takes me about two days to finish one of these babies, and that's if I've had sleep.  
Glad you liked Mr. Garrison. I'm gonna have to throw some more South Park stuff in this story.  
Oh, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter -- it's chock-full of Ax, after all.

****

To anyone who didn't get a response - I'm pretty sure FFN did delete some reviews I got for this chapter because they're not showing up on the review list. So, if I missed you this time around, I'm sorry. That's all folks. There's nothing to see now. Really. I mean it. No, _really_. I'm _not_ kidding. I'm done. I mean it. =P 


	13. Chapter Twelve: Tobias

Author's Note: Well, here it is, finally! And trust me guys, it's after this chapter that the real story will begin. So just fasten your seatbelts and hold tight. =) Also, hopefully, this should start a period of more regular updating from me after I finish some of the other fics and stuff I have planned. Cross your fingers, guys!  
Also, has anyone ever gotten emails for breast enlargement? I don't know if they really exist or not, since all the junk mail I get is asking me to enlarge my non-existent penis.  
That aside, Tobias fans, don't kill me for what happens at the end.

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." - Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910), Anna Karenina, Chapter 1, first line 

* * *

**-Chapter Tweleve-  
Tobias **

My name is Tobias Avan and my life is starting to become pretty confusing.

It all started on Monday, when I met Rachel. Or at least, the first time we talked to each other.  
You see, the two of us have had lockers side-by-side this whole school year, but we'd never so much as said "Hi." to each other. Don't get me wrong, though, it's not like I hadn't noticed Rachel before that. She's pretty hard to ignore.  
But it's not Rachel that's making my life confusing. Well, not too much.  
It's more the things that happened to me because I met Rachel. Not to mention that I'm crazy.  
At least, I hope I'm crazy. Because if I'm not then I'm not sure I want to understand what's going on. There's still the possibility that maybe I'm just some poor deluded boy locked up in a room with padded walls, some sick, sad teenager who's under the _delusion_ he's having flashbacks. Under the delusion that's it all real. Not exactly a comforting thought, I know.

But I'm starting to wonder if it's a better alternative.

I was sitting on one of the benches outside the cafeteria, chewing on rubber the cafeteria called spaghetti, wondering if I should've gone with Marco. I grimaced as I swallowed down a mouthful of the spaghetti-made-of-tires, recalling the last time that Marco and I played good cop/bad cop.  
The results were not pretty and, to be honest, Marco owes me one. If it weren't for me he'd at least have a black eye by now. Truth is, I'm not sure he wouldn't have deserved it.  
Marco and I aren't friends, and I don't claim to know the guy well, but until our little interrogation I'd thought he was a pretty laid-back guy. Guess I was wrong.  
I'll be honest, I feel guilty about what happened that day. Ax Isthil seemed like a pretty nice guy to me, even when Marco and I were freaking him out with our story, and there's not a part of me that doubts he's one of us. I knew the first time I saw him. We knew each other.  
I'd gotten that feeling from all the others, too. Cassie said she had as well.  
I swallowed down another lump of tireghetti and this time I forced it down with some skim milk.  
I was worried about Cassie and Jake. Cassie'd been missing since before school even started, and my guess is that Jake's wherever she is. Or maybe that's just my hope.  
I've been having weird dreams all week. Dreams of riding through the field on the back of a hawk, dressed in some kind of a light blue tunic. I would start getting attacked by the weird aliens I saw in my flashback, but then I would save them from some ominous beehive. Weird, huh?  
I had a bad feeling about those dreams and Jake and Cassie going missing didn't help much.  
I considered eating more of the rubber spaghetti, but my stomach could handle the torture so I ended up just throwing in the trash and went back to sitting on the bench. Waiting.  
Rachel was inside looking for her friend Melissa. Marco was inside interrogating Ax again.  
Both of them, taking the initiative. Doing things. Like I should've been, instead of playing lookout or whatever the heck it was that I was doing. What was that? Oh, right. Nothing.  
I sighed at myself. Self-pity wasn't going to help anything, it wouldn't get Jake and Cassie back sooner, and it sure as heck wouldn't get us any answers as to where those two could be.

But there was one thing I could do. My homework.  
So I cracked open my binder and began working on my Algebra.  
I killed about ten or fifteen minutes writing down answers and erasing them every two or three seconds, finding that I'd made some screw-up when I looked back at my paper.  
I didn't even hear the footsteps coming my way. I was busy looking over problem #9 when the footsteps reached me. When I heard Andy Grisham shout "Hey, Avan!"  
I looked up and flinched on pure instinct. Andy and his little gang, in particular his lackey Tap-Tap, had made it their personal mission to be the snot out of me most of my Freshman year and a good chunk of Sophomore year, too, until the past few days. They'd been lightening up and not just on me. And, no, I have no idea why. Maybe the aliens we'd all been flashing back to gave Andy and Tap-Tap some personality changes. Not that I'm complaining. I like the new Andy and Tap-Tap, aside from the fact that they creep me out. I'm not used to them not hitting me.  
"Hi." I said, not quite sure what I should do.  
"Hey, Tobias." said Tap-Tap as he sat down hard on the bench, almost making me lose my balance.  
"Hi." I repeated myself, looking up at Andy as I did so. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked.  
"We wanted to talk to you about The Sharing." Andy said.  
I blinked. "The Sharing?" I asked. Tap-Tap nodded. "You said you were thinking about it. Remember? The bus? You told Andy and I you'd think about going." Tap-Tap said.  
"I did?" I asked. They both nodded, and then I remembered. It'd been earlier this week, after Andy and Tap-Tap chewed out the bus driver, before my life turned upside down. I'd forgotten!  
"So, you gonna go, Avan?" asked Andy. I just stared at him. I hadn't even _thought_ about it.  
I closed my binder. I could finish my homework another time. "Andy, I--" I started to say.  
Andy grabbed me by my shirt collar. He didn't lift me up, though it would've been easy for him. He just pulled me closer to him. "Let me guess, you didn't think about it." He whispered.  
I couldn't even budge a word in. "Well, _think_ about it, Avan." Andy said.  
Then he pushed me back towards the bench and let go of my shirt collar. Tap-Tap laughed as I hit the brick wall behind the bench. I hit my back, hard.

Andy turned and started leaving, Tap-Tap got up and followed behind him. I clenched my teeth to keep from focusing on the sharp pain as I collected everything in my binder and zipped it shut. My eyes stung, too, though that wasn't because of my back.  
It was just as I was getting up off the bench that I noticed Marco running to me.  
Before I had a chance to ask him what was wrong, he grabbed me and dragged me away from all the other students. Out of sight and without a doubt out of hearing range.  
Still, Marco made sure to double-check that no one could hear us. "Marco, wha--" He cut me off.  
"Tobias, we need to find Rachel." Marco said. "Now."  
"What happened?" I asked him, lowering my voice so that it was just beyond a whisper.  
"Short version, guys with lazer beams and your buddy Ax is a traitor." He said.  
I just stared at him for a moment. "You did not just say that." I said.  
"Which part? Lazer beams or traitor?" Marco asked me. I groaned and ran a hand through my hair.  
"Both." I said. "Damn it, where's Jake when you need him?" I muttered.  
Marco laughed. "Funny, I was just saying thinking the same thing." He said.  
I'm not what you would call a natural-born leader. I am not the kind of person that could lead other people to their potential deaths day in and day out. That's just not me.  
I'm not Jake. He's a natural-born leader, even though he has no clue about it whatsoever.  
And we were lacking in a natural-born leader. But we had the next best thing.  
Someone who could think on their feet.  
After a moment or two of quick planning, Marco and I headed to the office. Our plan was to find out where Melissa Chapman's next class was, if at all possible. There, we'd find Rachel.

We hoped.

~~~

I'm starting to think that, whenever architects start building a school, they start building a maze and things like classrooms and bathrooms are just kind of built around the maze.  
So, in essence, schools are more or less huge mazes. Or at least George Washington High is.  
When you're running through it as fast as your legs will take you.

"Rosenberg, room 169." I panted as Marco and I turned and sped down the hallway.  
"Isn't she one of the Comm. Graphics teachers?" Marco asked. "The gay one?"  
I fumbled. I thought a little, and somehow, I still couldn't believe he said that.  
Ms. Rosenberg's single, young, and she's also got mad at a few guys were picking on this blonde guy because he's gay. So, of course, now there's rumors going around about her.  
"Will you believe _anything_?" I asked Marco.  
Marco slowed down a bit so I could catch up. "It's an innocent question." He said.  
"So what? What does it have to do with finding Rachel?" I asked as we passed room 120.  
Marco and I turned another corner. "I just wanted to make sure it was the right Rosenberg."  
"Marco, how many Rosenbergs do you think work at this school?" I asked him.  
"Hey, it's a pretty common name. I looked it up on Yahoo once." Marco told me.  
"And people say I have no life." I commented. Marco glared at me.  
The two of us started running down the Math Hall. We were about halfway there.  
But that was not to last. We'd been spotted by Mr. Snape, the world's strictest teacher.  
"Jones! Avan! No running in the halls!" He shouted. Beside me, Marco paled.  
We turned around and started running in the opposite direction. As far from Mr. Snape as we could hope to get. We ran as fast as we could manage to get Mr. Snape off our heels.  
Marco and I took a sharp turn right, towards the Library. A longer route to Comm. Graphics.  
"How does he even know my name? I'm not even in his class!" Marco whispered, panicking.  
"It's Mr. Snape. And believe me, if he was your teacher, you'd know that's all you need to know. The man knows things he just shouldn't have any knowledge of." I informed Marco.  
"Too bad he can't tell us where Jake is." Marco muttered.  
The thing I didn't tell Marco is that I wouldn't have put it past Mr. Snape to know.  
I have no idea how we managed to reach the Comm. Graphics room. If these were normal circumstances, I would've passed out or something already. I'm not much of an athlete.  
Neither was Marco. We were both leaning up against the wall across from Ms. Rosenberg's door, panting and gasping for air. It wasn't until a few minutes later that we saw the note.  
Marco and I approached the door and we read the tiny type. The type which said:

__

Comm. Graphics:  
Go to the Library for the Collage project.

I re-read the note to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Marco just gaped at it in disbelief.  
"I have something I have to get off my chest." Marco said. I cocked an eyebrow.  
"This day, for the record, has sucked. It has sucked more when my Pop-Tart popped out of the toaster and hit me in the eye. It has sucked more than when I erased my best Tetris game on accident. It has sucked more than that one time I saw my dad in the shower..." I cut him off.  
"Marco? I'll be your loyal slave if you promise to stop talking." I said.  
"Shutting up." Marco muttered.  
"I was kidding about the slave thing." I told him.  
"Good." Said a sneering voice. "Because I want you both in my room right now."

Marco and I turned, as slow as we could, to face him. Mr. Snape. Glaring at us.

"Can I just say, one more time, that this day has sucked?"

~~~

We got off pretty light, considering. Marco got detention from three-to-five next Monday. I bargained with Mr. Snape to let me have lunch detention, since my uncle would go ballistic on me if he found out. Of course, I didn't tell Mr. Snape that.  
I don't tell people about my family. It's gotten to be a habit, sort of. Not that anyone would want to know about my family. About how my uncle was passed out on the couch 24/7.  
About how the days that my uncle is passed out are the good days. Much, much better than the days he's a raving drunk. Don't get me wrong, though, he's never hit me. Just threatened to.  
And lucky me, I've never pissed him off enough to encourage him to live up to his threats.  
Not like that was any better than living as my aunt's slave. At least my uncle's I got fed.  
Well, most of the time, anyway.  
Rachel found me after lunch and we talked for a while. She told me that she'd met up with Marco, and both of them had seen a strange man in a gray suit. A strange man who killed someone with the lazer beams Marco had mentioned. I had a feeling that was the important part of the story, but I wasn't so sure that Rachel had told me everything. Maybe it was because of the shame in her eyes.  
The rest of the day dragged on like usual. Well, except working on the Collages in Comm. Graphics. That was fun. Ms. Rosenberg's an awesome teacher as long as you don't piss her off.  
When I got home, my uncle was asleep. Nothing new there.  
You know, I hope my uncle doesn't die in his sleep. There'd be no way to know he was dead.  
I trudged my way to the back of the house, to my room. I threw my backpack down on the bed and then turned on the computer. Yes, I said computer. I do have one. It's an old thing I found lying in the trash near the house. My uncle has no idea it even works. It has the Internet, though that's only because I was able to figure out my uncle's password, which wasn't that hard.  
So I logged on and went to check my email. If it was anything like usual, I'd have about five new messages from different companies asking me if I would like to enlarge my penis. Or my breasts.  
I also turned on AOL Instant Messenger. It's not like I have anyone to talk to, but I figure since almost everyone on the 'net has some kind of an instant messaging program, I should get one. Besides, it's free. That never hurts. I went to the Yahoo! login page and checked my email.  
I was surprised. There was just two offers for breast enlargement. I deleted them.  
I had no other email. But after all, it's not like I had anyone to email, anyway.  
Or vice-versa. No one _would_ be emailing me. Not Rachel, Jake, Cassie, or Marco.  
I looked at my monitor and sighed. I would've loved to give my friends my email address. Or better yet, my phone number. But I couldn't do that. It'd add to my uncle's suspicion.  
The man's the most paranoid person I have ever met. And I know Marco.  
I was about to disconnect when a little window popped up. Someone had IM'd me.

****

A.I.: Hello, Tobias.

I blinked and rubbed my eyes just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Then I sent a reply.

****

NetNerd0323: Who are you?

It was a few seconds later before I got my answer.

****

A.I.: A = Ax I = Isthil.

I pinched myself then. Hard. It hurt, so I couldn't have been dreaming.  
Ax had sent me an instant message. Why? What was going on here?

****

NetNerd0323: Hi, Ax. What's up? And how did you get my screen name?

In the blink of an eye, Ax responded.

****

A.I.: I wanted to apologize. And I looked you up in the AOL Directory.

I frowned. I recalled what Marco told me earlier today. "Your buddy Ax is a traitor."  
I hadn't wanted to believe him. I'm not sure if I did until this exact moment.  
Traitor. Not too long ago, I would've thought that was a word I'd never have to use. That was a word that just didn't fit in my world. I mean, that was a word you used in a war.  
My life was not a war. Except, now I'm not sure. I don't know what you'd call a life where you flashback to being chased by aliens, by your enemies. Sounds pretty war-like, doesn't it?

****

A.I.: Tobias? Are you still there?

I typed my reply.

****

NetNerd0323: Yes, I'm still here. Tell me what's going on.

I'm not sure why I asked him to do that. It's just that this was all too much. There were "guys with lazer beams", to quote Marco, and they were killing people. I was having flashbacks I didn't understand, and now it seemed I face-to-face, well, screen-to-screen with a traitor.  
Not to mention I liked a girl whom, in no possible way, could like me back.

****

A.I.: I'm sorry. I didn't tell him everything.

Before I had a chance to type a reply, Ax went on.

****

A.I.: Chapman wanted me to find out about you guys. About the flashbacks. I told him about you and Cassie, that you'd both had strange fainting episodes. I shouldn't have, but I didn't have a choice. Chapman threatened to ruin everything for me. And I was scared.  
**NetNerd0323:** Scared?  
**A.I.:** When you mentioned _him_, I knew you and Marco were telling the truth. I wasn't ready to face that.

I was surprised that Ax had mentioned _him_. The being Cassie had seen in her flashback.  
The being that had brought us all together, the being I felt some strange bond with.  
But Ax hadn't been in Cassie's flashback. He hadn't been there. So he could he know _him_?

****

NetNerd0323: How do you know _him_?

I wasn't prepared for what Ax was about to tell me.

****

A.I.: I'm not sure, I just do. I had a flashback...thousands of Andalites, dying...I didn't tell Chapman about the flashbacks.

I felt a shiver go down my spine. I inspected the word on the screen. Andalite.  
I knew, deep inside. That's what _he_ was. An Andalite.  
I started to type a reply to Ax when I heard loud noises coming from the front of the house.  
My uncle had woken up.

****

NetNerd0323: Ax, we're going to have to talk about this sometime later.

"Tobias Alan Avan! Get your lazy ass out here, you damn bastard!" My uncle roared.  
I was about to disconnect, wondering what had my uncle so hacked off, when Ax replied.

****

A.I.: Why?  
**NetNerd0323:** _Because!_

Then I disconnected and turned off the computer.

"Tobias, I told you to get out here." My uncle said. I felt my whole body stiffen with fear.  
His voice had gotten closer.

The next moment the door flew open.  
Dude, my black-and-gray tabby cat, ran under the bed.  
"When I say I want your lazy ass, I except to see your lazy ass." My uncle said. Calm. Collected.  
I noticed he had a belt in his hands. My stomach churned.  
"I don't want you stay and sit in here, and I don't want you off 'baby-sitting'." My uncle sneered.  
He knew! He knew I'd gone to Rachel's to help her baby-sit her sisters without his permission. I'd thought he'd been asleep the whole time, I'd thrown away the note when I got home! He knew!  
"What's wrong with baby-sitting? I left you a note. You could've called." I said.  
"I know you left me a note, you little faggot. What do you think, I was born yesterday? I know you, you know. You weren't baby-sitting, you were with your gang screwing some jailbait slut. Surprise, Tobias, I'm not a fool. Do you think I'm stupid, Tobias?" My uncle asked me.  
"N-no I don't, sir." I said. "But I swear to you, we really were..."  
"I'm _not_ going to listen to your lies!" My uncle cried. He raised the belt.  
I raised my arms, but I was too slow. The belt hit me across the face.  
I bit my tongue to fight the sob of pain threatening to explode from my mouth.  
"So, you're not going to talk now? I'll give you something to talk about!" My uncle shouted.  
He hit me again and again across the face. My mouth tasted like blood, I bit my tongue so hard. But it kept the tears from flowing. I couldn't cry, that might make it worse. For me.  
I could feel blood trickling down my face. I think most of it was from my left cheek.  
"Tobias, I don't want to hit you again. Promise me you'll do as I say." My uncle said.  
"I promise." I croaked.  
"Say it louder." My uncle told me.  
"I promise!" I shouted.  
Then my uncle dropped the belt. It hit my floor without so much as a thud. "Good." He said.  
Then he left without a word or even a trace of guilt and regret.

I sat there, still in the pullout chair I put beside my desk, until my uncle fell asleep.  
Until his irritating, grating snores filled the entire apartment.

Then I picked up the belt and threw it across the room.  
It hit my closet door with a satisfying BAM! that made Dude scamper under my desk.  
After that was when the sobs started. I'm not sure how I long I cried, but god, did it hurt.  
There's all this macho bullshit in our society about how boys don't cry. There's even a song about it for Christ's sake! But at that moment, I did not care.  
I had to get it out or it'd eat me alive.

It was quite a while later that I realized I'd left my window open.  
I grabbed my backpack and stuff what clothes I could fit inside. Junk food, too.  
Then I found the cat carrier my aunt had given me for Dude, when she'd bought him so that I wouldn't tell anyone about the fact that all I did for the summer was clean her attic.  
I filled up two bottles of water. One for me, one for Dude.  
I also filled up a bottle of cat food. I put the empty saucer in the cat carrier.  
I guess most runaways wouldn't bring their cat with them, but my uncle had never liked Dude.  
He would've kicked the cat to death when he found out I was missing. I couldn't let him.  
After that I scooped up Dude and fit him, squalling and screaming, into the cat carrier.  
I put the cat carrier and the backpack outside, turned off my lights, and then climbed out.

I didn't even leave a note.

~~~

I'll admit something, I had no idea where I was going. I just ran, as far as I could get from that damn apartment. Away from my uncle. Away from all of this.  
My face was still bleeding a bit, but nowhere near as bad as it had been. I was still going to have to get my shirt inside a washing machine sometime, though. I'd bled all over my shirt.  
I was heading north. That's where the mall was. I guess I figured that I could hang out there until I figured out what the hell I was going to do.  
North was also the direction of Rachel's house. Maybe I was going there? No.  
I didn't want Rachel to see me like this. I didn't want to go north.

But I kept on going on that way.

Before I realized it, I wasn't very far from the mall. I was standing at the edge of the old, abandoned construction site. I'd used it as a shortcut to the mall more than once.  
But I hadn't meant to go to the construction site.  
_So what am I doing here?_ I wondered. But then I saw something that stole my attention.  
It was pretty much obscured from view. I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't been standing right at the spot where I'd been, well, placed. There wasn't anything remarkable about it.  
But I knew, I had to take it. Now. So I leaned down and picked up the small blue box.

**__**

Flash!

"We have to." I said to Jake.  
He nodded. "Yes." Jake said. "We have no choice."  
Then each of you, press your hand against one of the sides of the square. The Andalite said.  
We did just that. Five hands, all of us, pressed one side of the box. Then a sixth. His.  
Do not be afraid. He told us.  
Something, sort of like a shock, ran through me. It almost made me laugh.

I put the blue box in my backpack, only just squeezing it in amongst all my stuff.

Then, all of the sudden, I found myself back on the street where I'd been wandering.

What was going on?

* * *

**Ha ha, NONE of you guys saw that coming! Go me! =P (Reader Response)**

**Doctor Strangelove** - YOU'RE ALIVE! **SUPER-UBER-MEGA-HUG!** ...**coughs** I'm okay now.  
Anyway, glad you liked all the WAS. And there'll be plenty more of it, I can assure you. And you like this fic's Ax? Well, then I've fufilled my mission in life. =P And Ax is meant to be a little darker in this story than he is in the series. Though, he defintely won't be the darkest character. That's reserved for another one of my faves. **coughrachelcough** But, wait, Ax talks like someone you know? How weird. And I'll admit, I found very amusing that Ax and Tom were fighting over a ball. And that Erek gave them water bottles. But I a have a pervy, pervy mind.  
But Tom IS straight. No latent biseuxality for him, unlike other characters who I won't mention. =) Mr. Bender is actually a two-in-one ref. It of course refers to Bender (bite my shiny metal ass!), but it also refers to John Bender from the Breakfast Club, which happens to be one of my favorite movies. I'm not a big fan of incest either, though I will confess I read a really good Tom/Jake once. But even if it's well-written, incest squicks me. Even Forlay-written incest squicks me. Oh yes, Dominatrix Rach will be fun. There's also probably going to be a hint of Dominatrix Ax somewhere, because he's evil. And it's fun. Oh god, I just went to a scary visual place. 0_o You lost the internet? My condolances. Hope you get it back soonish. Oh, don't worry about being in college and writing fic. I'll be in college still finishing this monster. And I know lots of fic authors in college! Okay...three...but, still! Oh yay, Tom slash! I like Tom slash! Write Tom slash! ...and I've gone incoherent again. Oh well.

**goddess of darkness** - Glad you like the fic! =)

**Loony Lovegood (Puar Briefs)** - Love the new nickname. =) 'Cept...'cept..it reminds me of THAT. **starts crying again, thinks of Gohan, and is happy again** I like it when people re-read my stuff. It makes me feel good. As for the Marco-Ax moment, good ideas with #21. But then again, #51 was one of my fave books (is it me or did Ax have a crush on the Governor?), so I might do that, too. I don't know yet. And it's funny you mentioned putting in an Ax-Tobias moment. I was planning to do the IM scene in Ax's chapter, but it just fit better in Tobi's, especially since it gave me a starting point for the ugliness.  
As for Erek, well, I won't reveal what I have planned for him. And I can tell you like Erek. Oh, and yes, he does remember everything. He's an android, after all. Can't erase his memory.  
I loved Richie, and Misty is the BOMB. That's all that needs to be said. Unfortunately, I didn't see the preview ep...but my inner AAML-er had a fit at Misty's leaving. Nero was a crazy boy.  
Then again, most Roman emperors were crazy...glad you liked the 'haunted by alien ghosts' bit, and there is too an eight fifty-six! I just neglected to put in the A.M. part. I thought it was kind of obvious, since they were all at school and it was after first period.  
Oh, eek. You caught onto the fact that I'm Marco/Ax fan. I don't think anyone could've guessed if they didn't look at my faves list, or my other fics...but then again, I think there's a fair amount of subtext in their scenes. But maybe that's just me, and I'm veering dangerously close to spoiler territory. I like Ax/Tobias, though. There were so sweet before the whole relation-thing. (Thanks for joining my fanlisting, btw.) And thanks for your compliment. I will draw out the series, promise. Oh! Something to chew on -- keep this in mind about the Ax-is-David thing: Marco is the only another Animorph, at this point, that has Ax be in any of their flashbacks. So the other don't have any memories to counter his with. And Ax also wasn't featured much in Marco's flashback, so HE doesn't really have anything to counter the David thing with. Will this clear up? Well, you'll see. =)

**Patrick Blah** - Glad you liked your Ax-flavored-Erek-spiced chapter. =) And yep, Erek remembers all. And I think you're the first person who likes Ax more in this fic than they do in the series. Most people like Jake better in this fic. As for the resolution between Ax-and-everybody, it is coming, but it'll be tangled up for a while more. And if I'm not mistaken, I _think_ this chapter is longer than the last. I hope you like it.

**Neri** - Glad you liked the chapter, and you're right, Ax really doesn't act all that human. But I guess that's kind of the point. And it's spelled superior, since you wanted to know.  
Good guess on the redheaded guy. I was actually thinking of Fred and George when I wrote him. But you didn't notice the black-haired bespectaled boy? Give you five guesses as to who HE is. =)  
Oh, I know "the Leaky Cauldron"! As for HP5, I have a very cool uncle who needed to give me a very late birthday gift. And I cried. A lot. And I still don't like hearing about who died.  
And Oklahoma is cool. It's very pretty, but also VERY VERY hot, and this is coming from a Texas girl. But it's a nice place. And heck if I know if plaid is in. I just remember it being some horrible crime to wear plaid when I was a kid. Also, I just thought Rachel dissing Ax's clothes was funny, especially since she used to pick out his clothes and all in the series. I should put in a scene with those two in, like, Sears or something. It'd be fun. Glad you liked the "alien ghosts" thing. The Loren gag was a little nod to the whole "Don't call me Prince" thing. 'Cept now it's "Don't call me Mrs. Smith."  
Eight fifty-six is supposed to be 8:56 A.M. Tetris is this video game where you have to put together blocks of different colored blocks together and try to get rid of all your blocks while new blocks keep falling from the top of the screen. It's very addictive and it gets VERY hard. Inhumanly hard. Literally. Ax's computer name doesn't have any huge signifance, but it's a misspelling of the word "blue", the color of Ax's fur. His screen name in this chapter has more meaning to it. A.I. is also the abbreviation for "Artificial Intelligence", in other words, stuff like robots, what guides the computer when you play against the CPU in games, and those little Catz and Dogz cyber-pets. And it's also the title to an awesome Spielberg movie.  
The reason I like Draco is that I think he's gonna turn out to be an okay guy in the end. Or at least, not evil. I think he's too selfish to serve Voldemort. And Tamora Pierce ROCKS. =)

**Sundancer** - Glad you like the story! Unfortunately, though, Elfangor won't be in it aside from a few flashbacks and stuff. He's still dead. But he will be mentioned, if that makes you feel better.

**SurrealSerpent** - Good to know you like the human-Ax thing. I always thought Ax was kind of more human than Andalite by the end of the series anyway. =) Oh, and trust me, there'll be conflict-a-plenty between Marco and Ax. And Erek will show up more, too.

**shadowhunter** - The next KAA? Wow, thanks. That'd be cool. Then I'd have money. =P And, hey, just keep writing. That's the only way your stories will get better. And here's a new chapter, so enjoy!

**Hurdler** - Glad you like the story, and trust me, I'll be keeping up with the Buffy refs. It's my fav. TV show, too. =) Ms. McClay will actually have a pretty important role in the story, as far as Cassie's tale goes. Ms. Rosenberg is teaching a computer arts class just to be specific, and I thought it was cool, too. And yes, Mr. Osbourne was supposed to be Oz. Huh. I just thought of teaching positions for Xander and Buffy, though Buffy probably won't be teaching at the school. And I hadn't thought of tossing Dawn in! Thanks for the idea! Hey, don't you think I should cram in a Mr. the Bloody teaching poetry? Anyway, I'll keep it up. Thanks for the review.

**Phi** - It's great you like the story and the Buffy refs. I seem to be attracting a lot of Buffy fans. Or maybe there's just a lot of Buffy fans, period. Hmm. Glad you like Ms. Mclay. She'll be a kinda-big part of this part of the story. And, actually, the birthdate was a flub on my part. But I know what you mean about having an older sibling in college. I was born in '87, too, and I'M almost the sibling in the college. Glad you like Cassie/Jake stuff, too.

**Stink E. Burrito** - Good to know there's a lack of hemmorage. And, hey, look, I actually continued soon! Amazing, huh?

**Lisa-Ann** - Well, if you ARE gonna kill me, I'd prefer the lynching. It's quicker and I'm a wimp about pain. And action IS coming soon, I swear it! (I guess what happened this chapter could be constituted as action, but it's unhappy action.) And I do fear the brats. =)  
Glad you liked the chap, and I hope you like this one even more. Oh! And before I forget, do you want me to write the Animorphs Movie Jake/Rachel scene like a fanfic or like a script? I can do either.

**Aelle** - Yeah, I guess Ax was nicer in this last chapter. And South Park rules. =)

**Queen of Shadows** - I KNEW ff.n deleted some reviews! Stupid ff.n people...but oh well.  
Glad you like the concept, and Ax will make things better. And Chapman's just a very good, and very suspicious, guesser.

**Freak Apple** - You take Latin? Cool! I'm a French geek like Cassie. =) But I'm going to take Sign Language when I'm Senior 'cuz they're ending the French program after next year, stupid school board people who can't find teachers...and I hate bullies too, so I think Rachel should rip more arms off bullies. Or maybe not. That'd be a little gross. Glad you really like the fic and, huh, maybe you're right about the Subway people being aliens. That makes a lot of sense. But I'm done with the job searching now, since everyone refuses to hire me. I'm waiting 'til November, when we get a Hastings. _Then_ I'll probably get a job. 


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Jake

Author's Note: First things first, big apology in the lack of updating. They're a sad side effect of out of city trips and an exercise-happy mom. Plus, the fact that my first draft of this chapter (which was finished Wed.) sucked like...a big sucky thing.  
This version is mucho, mucho, much better. Even though it's lacking in the action.  
Secondly, oooh...Yeerky-tricks afoot, my pretties. =) Though there's even more shocks waiting.  
Thirdly, enjoy!

****

Threads of Fate  
Chronicle One

* * *

"Wait until it is night before saying that is has been a fine day." - French Proverb

* * *

****

-Chapter Thirteen-  
Jake

My name is Jake Berenson, and my life is starting to do a total 180.  
The flashbacks were weird enough. The knots they'd been causing in my stomach were enough to make me spend a week in front of the porcelain god because I was so freaked out.

But I didn't have time to think about that. No time to think about how something was _wrong_.

No less than twenty-four hours ago a woman had been shot before my eyes.  
Inside The Sharing. A new-world, like, Boys and Girls Club. Normal. Good, really. Right?  
I'd had a bad feeling about The Sharing ever since I'd gone there with my brother Tom on Monday.  
It felt like that was years ago. Back when my life at least had some semblance of normality.  
Sure, okay, that was back when I found out my parents were getting a divorce and I had my first two flashbacks but at least back then I still had the comforting thought that I was crazy.  
That was before I met Cassie, Marco, and Tobias. Before I found out Rachel had flashbacks too.  
Finding out that you aren't alone in your craziness doesn't help when you're trying to convince yourself that you're nuts. Because then it goes into that dangerous concept that perhaps you're one-hundred-percent sane, and let's face it, there's going to be times in life where you wish it was all some dream concocted by your head, even though you know it's not.

This was one of those times.

After mine and Cassie's escapade, I'd bided my time. As much as was good for me, anyway.  
I didn't want Tom finding out about what I'd done. In particular after I'd seen the owner of our town's chapter of The Sharing pulling a gun on some innocent woman.  
I waited until Saturday to call everyone up. Everyone meaning about three-fourths of the people I needed to call, since I hadn't been able to find "Avan" or "Isthil" in the phone book.  
That bothered me but I'd try to contact them later. Or maybe see if Rachel knew their numbers, or email address, or screen names, or anything that would've helped me find Tobias and Ax.  
At the moment my room had been invaded by my cousin, my once best friend, and Cassie.  
Marco was sitting backwards in my computer chair, his arms resting on the back support.  
Rachel was sitting on the floor next to him about two inches away from my computer.  
A small part of me wondered what was up with the close proximity, but I put that thought away.  
Cassie was leaning against the wall next to me, chipping in every now and then as I told Marco and Rachel about what happened at The Sharing. As Cassie and I related the tale of Victor Trent and the Esca-something Device he was looking for. As we told them of our suspicion that whatever The Sharing was mixed up, it wasn't human. That maybe everyone who went there was a fake.  
Everyone. That included Mr. Trent and our principal, not to mention a good chunk of the community. Teachers, policemen, maybe even my next-door neighbor. And to top it off about half of the student body. Even my brother might be a fake, some weird copy of himself.  
I didn't believe that, though. I couldn't. I wouldn't until I'd uncovered Tom's impostor.  
So I told myself that Tom was too smart to get involved in some alien conspiracy, told myself that there was no way possible he could be like the other members of The Sharing.  
Alien. Dangerous. My enemy. "So that's the whole story." I said to Rachel and Marco.  
"I don't believe you." Rachel said, her eyes full of contempt. I just blinked at her.  
Hey, you try reacting like normal when you're operating on more jolt than the human body should be able to handle. And a generous lack of sleep.  
Rachel caught on to the shock hidden in my blinking. "I don't mean about The Sharing." She said.  
"What I mean is that I don't _believe_ you two! Why in the world would you both decide to go off and ditch school, leaving the rest of us to wonder where the hell you were?" Rachel shouted.  
"Rachel, I told you, I wanted to check out The Sharing--" Cassie said.  
"To get Mr. Chapman off your back, I know." Rachel exhaled, finishing Cassie's sentence.  
"Look." Rachel said. "I get the reasons and a big woohoo to both of you for figuring out our enemy is the Boys and Girls Club of the Future. Thanks, guys, really. But, you know, a lot of stuff happened yesterday. Stuff that it would've behooved you guys to have seen." She said.  
I raised an eyebrow. "What stuff?" I asked Rachel, looking over at her and Marco.  
"First off, guys with laser beams. At school, no less." Marco chimed in, using his fingers to check off the list of "stuff" Cassie and I missed during our escapade.  
"Not to mention our friend Mister Hyperactivity is a t-r-a-i-t-o-r...what?" Marco asked.  
Rachel, Cassie, and I were all staring at him. It ended up being Rachel that spoke for us.  
"You could've mentioned that earlier, you know!" She shouted.  
"Wait." I said. I looked at Marco. "You're talking about Ax, right?" I asked.  
"Thought I spelled it out for you, Captain Brilliance." Marco joked. I ignored him.  
"How do you know?" I pressed. I watched as Marco sighed. As a grim expression swept his face.  
"Well, for starters, he _knew_ why you and Cassie ditched." Marco told us all.  
"Then he more or less told me that he ratted us all out to Chapman. Not to mention the big honking flashback I had where he killed a bird for no reason whatsoever." He added.  
For a second, his words hadn't registered with me. Ax had sold us out to Chapman? No way.  
Cassie was studying Marco with those piercing eyes of hers. "You're sure?" She asked.  
"Certain." Marco replied.  
"Even about the flashback?" Cassie asked.  
Marco hesitated to answer. "Yeah." He said. "It has to be him." He said.  
I saw doubt flicker in Cassie's eyes. "I mean, from the first time I saw him he bugged me. Something about him ticked me off. I knew there was something abnormal about him." Marco amended.  
"Well, this is just great." I said. "Anything else to add?"  
"Melissa was with Phaser Man." Rachel said, chiming back into the conversation.  
"Melissa Chapman?" Cassie asked her. "Yeah." Rachel said. "They were planning something."

It was then that I noticed her eyes looked bloodshot, that my cousin seemed to be suffering a major lack of energy. Like she hadn't slept all night. I could sympathize.  
After having a nightmare about a mysterious man with a gun and a strange blue box shooting me, then waking up only to fall back asleep to a weird dream where I was decked out in brown armor riding on the back of a tiger and watching my brother get stabbed over and over, I sympathized.

"So that means the Chapmans are involved with The Sharing. Or at least, most of them." I said.  
"As in _Principal Chapman_ the Chapmans?" Marco demanded.  
"No, the _other_ Chapmans, Marco. The ones in Idiotville, USA." Rachel shot back.  
They were glaring at each other. Rachel's irritation I could understand. Her best friend was mixed up with what was looking to be a big bad. But the chip on Marco's shoulder, I didn't get.  
But I knew we didn't have time for their baggage. "Guys, knock it off." I said.  
"We need to find out what's going on at The Sharing. What they're up to, and if possible, what that 'Escafil Device' Victor Trent was talking about is. We also need someone to check on Ax and Chapman and see how much they know." I instructed the others. Then I began forming a plan.  
"My brother goes to The Sharing, so I can try and see if he'll tell me anything. Rachel, you try and talk to Melissa. Marco, you told me your Dad was a sciencey type. See if he's ever heard of an Escafil Device and in the meantime, research it. Cassie, you can check out Ax." I instructed.  
Then I found them all looking at me. "What? Anyone not like that plan?" I asked.  
"It's fine, Jake." Cassie told me. She was smiling at me, which caused me to smile back.  
"Yes, excellent." Marco said, doing a perfection impression of Mr. Burns.  
Then he seemed to think over his words for a minute. "Fearless Leader." He added.  
Rachel then gave a not-so-subtle roll of the eyes, but she did laugh. "Let's do it." She grinned.  
At that moment, I felt a strange twist in my chest. Kind of like the feeling you get when you come home. Like the world's all right again.  
I smiled at my friends. "Yeah, like Rachel said." I laughed. "Let's do it."  
"We sound like one of those corny 'kids against the world' books." Marco whispered.  
I hid a snigger, Rachel pretended to be annoyed and I'm not sure Cassie got it.  
I went back to Army-General-Mode. "You guys go find out everything you can. We can meet up tomorrow at," I chewed on my lip as I tried to think. "Well, where can we meet?" I asked.  
"Not at my place." Marco said. "It's a living health hazard."  
"Or mine." Rachel said. "You know Jordan and Sarah, they'll barge in on us."  
"We could meet at my parent's barn. It's on the edge of town." Cassie said.  
"Barn?" Marco demanded, snapping his head to look at Cassie. "Did you say barn?"  
Cassie's eyes flashed in what I think was annoyance. "Yes, I said barn." She exhaled.  
I could swear that Marco's jaw was about to drop to the ground. "No way." He said.  
"Yes way." Cassie said, a sardonic little grin on her face. "Ask Jake if you don't believe me."  
Marco cocked an eyebrow. Rachel gave me a sideways glance. I said nothing.  
I just sort of stood there and blushed.

"Get your heads out of the gutter." Cassie instructed.

We did. I ran both hands through my hair, then let them rest on my neck. "Tomorrow afternoon."  
"Everyone get to Cassie's barn tomorrow afternoon. That is a good time, right, Cass?" I asked.  
"We can stay until about three. Dad has to perform surgery on an otter at three." Cassie reported.  
"Otter?" Marco asked. "Shut up." Rachel told him.  
"Okay, then. Everyone show up at the barn before three. I don't care how you get there, just do it. Rachel, see if you can reach Tobias and tell him where to meet us. Cassie, address." I said.  
Just so you know, I wasn't getting off on telling everyone what to do. I've never been a bossy kind of guy. It was just something I did. I've been told I'm a natural-born leader, but I don't believe that. I'm just the guy that everyone kind of turns to. I mean, look at Nicole and her posse. I don't know why, though.  
Besides, someone had to do it.  
I lead Cassie over to my desk and let her borrow a pen and a few pieces of paper.  
She had nice handwriting. It wasn't fancy, but it was neat and easy to read.  
My handwriting hasn't changed from the first grade. It's still a mess.  
"Thanks, by the way." I whispered to Cassie as she wrote down her address. I kept my voice low so that Marco and Rachel couldn't hear me. I think they both thought that I had a thing for Cassie.  
Which I don't. But I like her. She was nice, calm and even though you wouldn't guess it, she was brave. I guess that maybe I sort of admired her. But I didn't _like_ her.  
I mean, I didn't wonder what it'd be like to kiss her or anything. Or hold her hand.  
She had a sweet smile though. I liked it when Cassie smiled. Like she was doing now.  
"No problem, I want to help." Cassie whispered back to me. "And I want some answers." She added.  
I remembered the lady lying dead in The Sharing building. "Me too." I whispered.  
"Oh, Cassie. Look at you, in your stunning bird-doo-covered overalls. Kiss me, kiss me now."  
Cassie and I both turned to the owner of the irritating voice. Marco looked back at us with an expression of pure innocence on his face. I didn't buy it for a minute. Must've been the way he was trying like hell not to laugh. Rachel, on the other hand, didn't have as much restraint.  
"You have some serious issues." I told Marco. He just grinned at me. "So says Loverboy." He said.  
I looked over at Cassie. She was smiling at Marco's joke. That made me feel kind of good.  
But I still grabbed a pencil off my desk and threw it at Marco's face. "Ow!" He shouted.  
Rachel hid a snort of laughter. Marco picked the pencil back up and threw it at me.  
I caught it in midair. I have good reflexes, since I play basketball a lot.  
Cassie handed over the pieces of paper to Marco and Rachel. She also gave one to me.  
"Thanks." I said, smiling at her. She just shrugged. "No problem." She said.

After that, Cassie and Marco left to go what I'd ordered them to do. Rachel stayed behind.  
She waited until she could hear the downstairs door shut before she went to me.  
"I didn't know your folks were splitting up." Rachel whispered.  
"I was going to tell you." I muttered, feeling like a jerk for not saying anything earlier.  
"It's okay. I understand." Rachel said. Then she went up to me and hugged me.  
I didn't expect that. Rachel's not what you'd call sentimental. She's tough, not sappy.  
A moment later I hugged her back. Then we pulled apart. "Jake, it'll be okay." Rachel told me.  
For some reason that just made me want to hug her again. I didn't.  
"I'm sorry about Melissa." I told her. Rachel nodded. "I'm sorry about Tom." She told me.  
Then Rachel was looking at the piece of paper in her hand as if she'd never seen it before.  
"Gotta get going." Rachel said to me, holding up the piece of paper. "Do some investigating."  
"Yeah." I said. Rachel gave me another quick hug, and then she went out the door.

And, for the first time this week, I felt better.

~~~

The gunshots rang through the building.

"GET BACK HERE!" A voice, a man's voice, screamed through the complex.  
The voice was so packed with rage that it didn't even sound human.  
Maybe, I thought to myself, the voice wasn't human. Not for real.  
I was running through the building as fast as I could manage. I was pushing my way out of the crowd, out of the seething mass of humanity that seemed to be growing thicker the harder I tried to get away from them. Another shot of the gun. I saw the bullet as it sped through the room.  
I saw as a girl, behind me, fell to the ground. She would not get up again.  
I kept running. No time to look at the girl, no time to see who she was. Just time to run.  
"Get back, Bandit!" The voice screamed. I turned around. He was chasing me!  
He was a man, but I couldn't make out any features. He seemed to have blended into the darkness.  
"Give it back to me, Andalite!" The man shouted as a new volley of bullets ran through the building. The people behind me started collapsing. The room was heavy with blood.

They were dying! Because of me!

All of the sudden, a door appeared in front of me. I lunged forward and wrenched it open.  
Then I shut it behind me. A bullet whizzed through the door. It missed me by just an inch.  
Then I saw it. It was tucked away in the farthest corner of the room.  
To be honest with you, it didn't look that remarkable. It was just a normal, average, blue box.

But I grabbed it anyway.

Then the door burst open.

There were two people running into the room. One was the man with the gun.  
The other was a tall teenager. He looked a lot like me, but y'know, older.  
"Tom!" I cried out in surprise.  
"Jake, run!" He yelled. "Do you hear me? _Run!_" My brother ordered me, shoving me out the door.

So I ran. Away from it all. In the distance I could hear gunshots.

I awoke with a jerk.  
"Ow! That was my nose!" Tom cried. I blinked a couple of times, then I stared at my brother.  
He was clutching his nose and his face was twisted in pain. "Sorry." I muttered.  
Tom took his sweet time removing his hand from his nose. "You'd better be." He groaned.  
Then he felt his nose with his left hand. "I think you broke it." Tom whimpered.  
"Huh?" I said. I still hadn't quite woken up.  
"My Nose. Broken. Thanks, Midget." Tom summarized. Then he looked at me, concern on his face.  
"That must've been one hell of a nightmare." He said.  
"Nightmare?" I asked.  
"Well, those didn't sound like happy screams." Tom said. "Unless you're a masochist." He added.  
I shook my head. Then it started coming back to me. My dream, I mean.  
The gunshots. The blood. All the people dying, being mowed down like grass by the bullets.  
"I'm gonna throw up." I choked out. Tom jumped up and, to my surprise, picked me up.  
He carried me down to the bathroom upstairs. He used his free hand to force the seat up.  
Then my brother set me down on the tile, placing my head in front of the porcelian peehole.

I emptied out my guts.

I just sat there for a moment, afterwards. I turned my head away from the toilet. Focused on the tile beneath me. Tom didn't do anything. I guess he was waiting to see if I needed his help.  
Then I remembered Tom barging in the dark room, the one with the blue box. _Those_ gunshots.  
I threw up again. Tom put a hand on my shoulder. I puked again.  
Then, shutting my eyes so I wouldn't ralph again at the sight of my own vomit, I flushed it down.  
Tom helped me as I wobbled my way back to my room. He even helped me cover up again.  
"You need anything? A glass of water, maybe?" Tom asked me. I shook my head.  
"You want to talk about it?" Tom asked. I shook my head again. Tom chuckled. "Neither would I."  
He ruffled my hair and I shut my eyes. Sooner or later, I fell asleep.  
But my thoughts about the people at The Sharing were plaguing me. They weren't human, that much I was sure of. They might even, more than likely _were_ connected with the Controllers.  
Whatever _they_ were. But Tom wasn't one of them.

He _couldn't_ be.

~~~

It was about nine o'clock when I heard from Rachel. I was on the computer, trying to see if I could find any information about The Sharing via the web. Despite a good two hours of grilling him for info, Tom hadn't told me much. Just told me that when you became a full member "your whole world changed". He also mentioned that The Sharing was going to try branching out a bit, they wanted to build an Activity Center on that abandoned construction site by the mall.  
I told him it sounded like a cool idea. Which was a total lie. The idea of anything related to the Sharing caused my stomach to get all queasy. A new Activity Center didn't help that.  
But it was better than knowing nothing. Still, it didn't help me much. Hence the websurfing.  
I was going to when the Instant Messenger Screen popped up.

****

She-Roar: Jake!  
**Jake161621:** Rachel? What's up?

I waited a moment as Rachel typed her reply. I didn't have to wait long, though, since Rachel's always been a very fast typer.

****

She-Roar: I have some good news and some bad news.  
**Jake161621:** Um...give me the good news first.  
**She-Roar:** Well, I got some information out of Melissa. Turns out she goes to The Sharing every three days. Her whole family does, in fact.

I hadn't ever realized it before, but Tom kept up the same schedule. He wouldn't go three days without attending a Sharing meeting. He hadn't for the past year or two.  
Tom and Dad fought about it sometimes but so far Tom had been pretty good about The Sharing meetings. It might've had something to do with the way we kept our family vacations limited to three days nowadays.

****

Jake161621: So does Tom, now that I think about it. Do you think there's a connection?  
**She-Roar:** Well, if all the Chapmans and Tom both keep up the same schedule...

Rachel let her comment hang. I was grateful for that. I didn't want to deal with the idea of FakeTom. The dream I had last night didn't help my stubbornness one bit, either.  
_Now I know how Marco feels._ I thought to myself as I remembered the way I went after him when Tom collapsed in The Sharing. Of what he now calls a "panic attack".  
Marco told me about his flashback that day. He told me about his mother.  
I jumped to conclusions, or at least, that's what I keep telling myself. I mean, the whole thing with Tom had shooken me up pretty bad, I won't even try to deny that. But, I was out of line.  
Telling Marco that I believed his mother was one of _them_, one of the Controllers, was beyond out of line. It was taking the line and flying to Mars with it. Right?  
I shook my head to clear away my guilt and typed a reply to Rachel.

****

Jake161621: Yeah, you're probably right. So, what's the bad news?  
**She-Roar:** I can't reach Tobias.

At that moment, the door to my room opened. I looked to see my mom standing in the doorway.  
There was this grim, stiff look on her face unlike anything I'd ever seen.  
For a moment I wondered if she and Dad were fighting downstairs. But why would she come to me?  
I found out my answer quicker than I would've liked.

"Jake," My mom said, her voice slow and careful. "There's an officer downstairs to see you."

__

What? I wondered. Then I felt cold fear grab my stomach and twist it with a hot poker.  
Had someone found out about what Cassie and I had done? That couldn't have been illegal, could it? The fliers had said they were open! Sure, okay, the only people there were the man with the gun and his posse, but Cassie and I hadn't been breaking the law! Well, Cassie hadn't been.  
I was sure her parents had to have called her in sick. Besides, it's not like they sent in freaking _police_ after truant kids? Did they? Was it some new law I didn't know about?  
"What for?" I asked Mom.  
"I don't know." She whispered. Then she looked at me again, and frowned. "And stop blanching."  
"I'm no--" I managed to spit out before my mother's glare told me to go downstairs _now_.

Mom led me downstairs to the living room. There was a cop sitting on our couch.  
He was tall, very tall. There was some orange-reddish hair poking out from under his cap.  
At first, he hadn't noticed me. He was writing things down on a clipboard, not even bothering to look up or anything. That didn't last long, though.  
I sat in my dad's recliner, across from the couch, and the policeman's head snapped up.  
There was something beyond creep about him but I tried to ignore that.  
I was too busy worrying about getting locked up in the big house to care much about the cop.

"Well, hello!" He chirped. "You're Jake Berenson, aren't you?"  
I nodded. "Yeah, that's me." I said. The cop smiled to himself. "Good. I'm Officer Terrance."  
"Nice to meet you." I said, without even thinking about it. Then I held out my hand.  
The officer took my palm and shook my hand. "Nice to see some kids are still polite." He said.  
"Yeah, that's me. Mr. Manners." I said, trying to keep a smile on my face.  
The officer chuckled. "Well, Mr. Manners, I have a few things I want to ask you. Do you mind?"  
"Of course not, officer." I said. While I was thinking _Hell yes, I mind!_  
"Good." Said Officer Terrance, a smug smirk playing across his face. "Very good."  
He clicked his pen and looked me in the eyes. I kept smiling. I wouldn't work up any suspicion.  
"I'd like to know, what were you doing between seven and nine PM Friday night?" The officer asked.  
His question took me by surprise because, I guess, I didn't have anything to hide. As far as last night was concerned, anyway. The morning was a whole other matter. The night was safe.  
_So what's going on here?_ I wondered. "Playing video games." I answered.  
Officer Terrance wrote down something on his clipboard. "Just you? No friends or anything?"  
"Nope." I answered, feeling my confusion multiply ten-fold. "Just me." I added.  
"All right...nothing strange happened Friday night?" Officer Terrance asked me.  
I shook my head. "It was normal. I just hung out in my room." I said. "Nothing weird."  
Officer Terrance took off his hat and wiped his brow with it.  
"Look," he sighed. "We're looking for this kid--his uncle says he ran away from home."  
I frowned. To be honest, I didn't have a clue what was going on. Sure, it was sad that the kid Officer Terrance was looking for had run away from home, but that didn't have anything to do with me. Not that I wouldn't mind helping, but that didn't sound like anyone I knew.  
"I don't know what you're talking about, sir." I told Officer Terrance. Then he smiled at me.  
"Maybe a name would help." He mused. "The kid's name is Tobias. Tobias Avan."  
_WHAT?_ I bit my tongue to keep from shouting out in surprise. Tobias had run away from home?  
_Well, that explains his disappearing act._ The voice in my head said.  
Why in the world would Tobias run away from home? I mean, it's not like it was any secret he came from a poor family but I'm not one of those people that thinks that adds up to a shitty family.  
But then again, I didn't know Tobias very well. We were acquaintances at best.  
How was I to know what his home life was like?

"The principal over at the High School says you two are buddies." Officer Terrance explained.  
"So we thought that, maybe, you might know where he skipped off to." The redhead added.  
I shook my head, hard. "Tobias and I barely know each other." I said. "We've hung out, but..."  
"Don't worry, I get the picture." Officer Terrance said, holding up a finger to quiet me.  
I smiled a shaky smile. But I didn't like where Officer Terrance's questions were going.  
"I won't mind telling you, though, some weird things have been going on." He said.  
"Oh yeah? Like what?" I asked. The Officer shook his head and chuckled again.  
"I can't tell you all of it, buddy. But there's that weird fireworks incident at the construction site and the Principal mentioned these odd fainting spells, too." Officer Terrance said.  
_Fainting spells?_ I wondered, feeling my guts go cold. Both Cassie and Tobias had said they'd fainted after their flashbacks. Marco's words, yesterday morning, came back to me.  
He'd said that Ax had betrayed us. Told Chapman about what happened, about the flashbacks.  
Cassie might've had some doubts about Marco's conviction, but I didn't. Not now.  
Then the officer laughed to himself, as if he were replaying a memory.  
"I had this roomate in college -- paranoid guy." He said, shaking his head. "Believed in aliens, conspiracy theories, all of it. Used to worry about me because I was going into the force. Said the aliens were coming to get me. Man, if I could tell him about all this..." Terrance mused.  
"But, listen, Jake. If you know anything, or if anything happens, you call me." He said.  
Then he picked himself up off the chair. "I've given your mom my phone number." He added.  
Right at that moment, Tom came down the stairs. Looked at mom, to me, to Officer Terrance.

And he smiled.

"Morning, Officer." Tom said, waving a little hello to Officer Terrance.  
"Why, hello, Tom. Good morning." The Officer said. "Just talking to your brother here."  
"Really?" Tom said, cocking an eyebrow at me. "What'd he do, TP a house?" Tom asked.  
"No. He was just helping me in tying up a case of mine. Runaway from downtown." The officer said.  
"Oh. I see." Tom said. He had this faraway look in his eyes, almost like he was plotting something.  
"Well, see you at The Sharing, Officer. Aren't you becoming a full member today?" Tom asked.  
"Oh, yes." Officer Terrance said, smiling. "My wife and kids, too."  
"Contrast." Tom said. There was a huge smile on his face. "Let me walk you to the door."

And Tom did just that. In a few moments, Officer Terrance had left our house.

Little was I to know that my day was going to get a lot worse.

* * *

****

Fly my pretties! (Reader Response)

blueiceraptor - Just so y'know, telling me that "This is story is very bad." won't actually help me much. Maybe you could tell me specifically what's so bad about it? If you'd like to actually tell me how I could improve my story, that'd be wonderful. If you're going to start harrassing me or something, though...try another person, buddy. I don't have the time.

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Neri, the Queen of the Oceans - Hi! Glad you liked the chap -- and I agree with you that it's sexist to say boys can't cry. The sad part is, with women's empowerment, we're being expected to be more masculine -- and that includes the bad parts, like the not crying. (Not to say I'm not for women's rights, I've been a proud feminist for years now. I'm just against the stuffing-of-emotion-thing.) And, yeah, Tobias's home life sucked. I know that KAA didn't ever outright _say_ that Tobias was abused at home, but she more than hinted at it. Like you said, no wonder he went hawkie. And I actually liked Artificial Intelligence! Until the end, which was sweet and all, but I think it would've been a better idea to end the movie with David at the bottom of the ocean. Or living with Joe, since in my mind, they were getting all family-like. But then the movie wouldn't have been so sad...and I think that was what Spielberg wanted, a lotta sadness. And, nope, I didn't know Spielberg wanted to cast Haley Joel Osment (did I spell that right?) as Harry Potter. That woulda been interesting.  
And as for the morphing cube -- as I understand it, only an Andalite can activate it. =)  
David will show up in Part Two of this fic, which is either between six or twelve chapter away.  
I know where I wanna go with everything, but I'm not sure how long it'll take me to do it...and, on a practical level, it's not wise to take a pet with you if you're going to run away -- be it cat or dog. Most runaways have enough trouble taking care of themselves, let alone a pet. And the whole Cat = Girl thing is kind of irritating, but cats are "traditionally feminine" creatures, they're clean, graceful, and mysterious. So that might be part of it...and the one Harry Potter fic I've ever written was this short 'lil Ginny thing that doesn't make much sense -- but you can check my profile for it. Most of the HP ideas I get are Harry/Hermione (I really don't think Ron & Hermy would last very long), actually...but I did get an idea for this Ginny/Hermione best-friends-bonding thing that I might write someday.  
And I write fast? Wow, I always thought I was slow. (Or at least I am compared to some other authors like Freak Apple, for instance.) But I've been writing fanfic since I was in fifth grade, and my own stuff since eigth -- and I'm about to go into 11th grade. So, I guess my speed has a lot to do with years of practice. That and advanced English classes, which are good disipline-wise, since I always have trouble _starting_ a chapter/story/whatever.  
And that sucks that they wouldn't post your story -- why don't you try putting it up again? FFN's servers are always wonky, after all. Plus, did you save it any format other than .txt or .html? 'Cuz then it won't upload. And Tobias is next, just so you know.

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goddess of darkness - Glad you liked it, and sorry I was such a lazy bum about updating!

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Lavenderangel - Woohoo, go R/T! Heehee, sorry, I just like them a lot (in case you couldn't guess.) =) And let's see, I'll try to address some of the stuff you brought up.  
Marco angst shall continue in all it's glory. He and Rachel will have the screwiest love lives out of everyone in this series. And y'know, that scene you made up...I've got something sort of like that planned, but it doesn't involve Rachel. **coughs and hides the spoilers**  
I'm planning to cram in some R/C stuff soon, whenever Rachel or Cassie's next chappie rolls around. I like them, too. Ax is not of the evil! Rejoice! He's still going to have a lot to deal with, though. After all, he doesn't even remember that he's an Andalite yet, amongst other identity issues he'll have thrown at him. As for Ax's thoughts on Tobi's quick sign off, that'll be mentioned next chapter. And, hey, don't worry about the blindness. I can sort of relate. I've had a goofy leg my whole life (limping for sixteen years and counting!), thanks to cerebral palsy.  
And, hey, how'd you know Tobias would go to Rachel...I mean...oopsie, you weren't supposed to know that. And just so you know, I thought about making Snape take away points from Gryffindor. Then I remembered this wasn't a Harry Potter fic. (I also have to keep remembering that Rachel is NOT Buffy, by the way.) And, yeah, I thought Tobias was a good choice for Ax to confess to.  
And, um, actually, Cassie's next chapter is gonna be a while. She may possibly be the last one this time around (after either Marco or Ax, I'm thinking. Not what order they'll be in yet.)

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DH - Well, what I really meant was that this story's _plot_ is just getting started.  
But, wow, you really think this fic's that great? Whoa. Me not used to praise, 'tis odd.  
And I don't think Tobias will live at the scoop, but he might hide out there a while. And "a return of the Animorphs"? Oh, well, maybe. =)

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JamWing1 - Hey, it's nice to know you like the story. And I agree that Animorphs just wouldn't be Animorphs without the blue box. And, well, I didn't update soon, but I did update! Does that get me any points?

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Freak Apple - First off, no killy me for the not-reading and the not-updating-my-fic-site.  
I was trying to get this dang chapter done...writer's block is bad. **pouts**  
But anyway, I actually support kicking-Tobias's-uncle-in-the-nads. No complaint from me. =P  
Don't worry, though, I've figured out how he'll get his. And glad you like the Dude. But I don't think the kitty'll be getting morphing powers -- that'd just be a big 'ol problem.  
And I _meant_ to update soon, but then I got stuck.  
By the way, that Tobias Evan and Max thing is BEYOND freaky.  
PS: I've almost finished the Tobias sims! They'll be done today or tomorrow! Enjoy!

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Tinnuelenath - Mr. Snape? Magical? What drugs have you been smoking?  
Yes! I shocked you! Woohoo! **does a victory dance** Anyway, Tobias living with Ax? I'm, uh, not qualified to give you an answer on that one...and Ax is getting a clearance of sorts...but it's a ways away. He's got Tobias and Cassie on his side, and Jake and Marco are suspicious. Rachel's kind of going both ways. But it'll all settle itself out. (In more ways than one, heh. =P)

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digimon-lover - Glad you like the story, and I feel sorry for Tobias, too. His life sucks.  
But I'll try to update sooner, too. I didn't mean to take so long on this chapter. **sulks**  
Glad you caught all the Harry Potter stuffs, too. =)

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Patrick Blah - Please don't go insane, that would be sad.  
It's good to know you liked the chapter, too. I thought it was better written than some of the others (**coughRachelandMarco'scough**) lately. Glad you liked Ax's IM, too, and it's a relief (I think) to know that breast-enlargement-emails exist. For the most part, I think it was okay for Tobias to run...though that's not saying his life's gonna be easy from here on. And Dude rocks.

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RasberryGirl - Woohoo, I made someone care for Tobias. Go me. =)  
Hunh, maybe if I keep channeling KAA we could get rid of #54...think it's worth a shot?  
I know what you mean about the books being geared towards an older audience. Then again, I find most of the Animorphs fans I know are in High School/College, which is kinda funny...but I think there were a lot of things KAA didn't (or couldn't) go into because the books were for kids. (Like, say, the lack of swearing or sexual tension. Which would be realistic of teenagers...and I won't _mention_ the sexuality issue.)  
And J/C are actually comfy and safe at home. Which is certainly more than I can say for Tobias.

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Aelle, Queen of Insanity - Glad you liked Ax, the chappie, and the plot twist. And, no, Tobias has never had sex. He's still a virgin. His uncle's a paranoid freak.

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freak show - It surprises me how many people like the Tobias-thing. I thought you were all gonna kill me for that, actually. Thanks for the compliment, though.

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Loony Lovegood - I know Luna had nothing to do with THAT, but it makes me think of OoTP, which makes me think of THAT. And I loved (dead character), too. He was amazing.  
No probs about reviewing first -- but, hey, how'd you know Ax would get his tail back?  
**coughs** I mean, I SO did not tell you A HUGE HONKING SPOILER. And no, Tobias will not go David. He's saner than that...and David will show up in Part Two. And he plays a big 'ol role.  
David AU good! David AU want! And I admit I don't mind canon too much...doesn't hurt my fave pairings (M/A and R/T) any, but T/A were cute...ooh, and Lupin! That'd be cool! But, dang, between all the requests for Buffy and HP cameos, I dunno if any of the teachers will come from my own mind...and oh yeth, am I big AAML-er. My first love/crush/best guy friend and I were mucho of the Misty-Ash-ness. Including the being to stupid to act on it thing.  
Well, since Erek can't have his Howler-memories done away with, I sorta figure the Ellimist's world-warpy wouldn't work with him. Oh, and you're right, one eight*y* is not a time. And lazer is an incorrect spelling. Whoopsie. And, true, Erek has the AI, but Ax is also a l33t h@xor with cool screen names. =P And a loser for a--no spoilers. Almost forgot. And thank GOD Ax didn't ask the Governor to look at his butt, that'd just be...awkward. And Estrid. HISS. I like her as a character a lot, but she broke Ax's heart, which I DON'T like. (Actually, why didn't KAA ever let Marco or Ax keep a girlfriend? Gee, not like that's going to suggest anything. =P) And Gohan is deelish and happy-making. And no telling of the planning, I like it when you guys guess.  
PS: Can I also post the Erek ficlet and Cheechron on my site? 


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Tobias

Author's Note: If anyone _wants_ the 3v1l l33t shirt, you can find it at www.thinkgeek.com  
I got one for my birthday. =) Also, sorry the updating took a while. I had to re-register at school (Nooo! The horror! Hey, wait, this year I don't have to take semester tests! Woohoo!)  
And just so you all know, I wuv cliffhangers. =P

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"Turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes." - David Bowie, Changes 

* * *

**-Chapter Fourteen-  
Tobias **

I was an idiot.

Dude was yowling in the cat carrier now as I swung him around with every step I took.  
It couldn't be helped. It if it weren't for Dude, I would've been running. Running to where, I didn't know, but I would've been off like a cheetah. Faster than when I ran from those aliens.  
Not to mention the blue box had added to the weight I was slugging around.  
Even now I'm not all that sure why I didn't just throw it away. That was the smart thing to do.  
But I kept it with me, even though I shouldn't have. Even though all sense told me to run.

I was panicking but I guess that's obvious.

Who could blame me? I was stupid. Moronic! I'd just forced myself out onto the streets.  
And even I knew that, no matter if you lived in Jersey or Smalltown Us of A, the streets were no place for anybody and without a doubt no place for a kid.  
At first I was almost, well, glad that I'd run off. But now the fear was starting to settle in.  
It was night, which was part of it. I've never been comfortable at night, it makes me nervous.  
Super-alert. Almost like a predator chasing his prey. Or worse, a predator turned into prey.  
I stumbled my way along the sidewalk, ducking and dodging every now and then to avoid getting hit in the face by a tree branch or worse. I tried to stay out of the light as much as I could.

The last thing I needed was to come across some paranoid freak with a gun.

I almost considered going back. My legs were aching, my arms were aching, everything was aching.  
_I wish Dude wasn't so heavy._ I griped to myself.  
Then I shook my head. Standing here doing nothing wasn't going to help.  
Besides, if I stayed here, my uncle just had a better chance of finding me. Even if that required him getting off his drunken ass first, it wasn't a chance I was thrilled to take.  
Not that sneaking around the neighborhood was much better.

But at least my face wasn't getting ripped apart by a belt right about now.

I didn't have anywhere to go. I had no family in this town. I did have friends, sort of.  
Except I had no clue where any of them lived.  
Except Rachel.  
I didn't want her to see me like this. I mean, I was pathetic. Kicked, beaten and bruised.  
But I've gotten very good at swallowing my pride.  
So I kept going forward down the gravel; keeping my eyes focused as I searched for oncoming cars.  
It wasn't until I reached the very edge of the pavement that I saw it.  
A white car heading for me.  
I was about to follow my natural instinct and run, but the car had slowed to a stop in front me before I had the chance to flee like a criminal sprinting from the cops.  
The window rolled down. Inside was a twenty-something, though maybe a little older, woman.  
She was wearing long silken black slacks and a vest that underneath hid a blue cotton shirt.  
Her mid-length blonde hair was tied back in a sleek and efficient ponytail.  
But it was her eyes that made me stare. They were a grayish-blue mix.  
I know it sounds crazy but I could've sworn her eyes were _mine_.  
"What happen--" She said as her eyes grazed me over. Then they flickered in a grim determination.  
The next moment the door of the white car flew open and hit the curb. The woman didn't care.  
"Get in." She commanded.  
I got in. I was afraid of what would happen to me if I didn't.  
"How bad are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?" The woman asked me.  
I stared at her for a moment, then I looked down at my blood-stained shirt. "No." I said.  
"You're sure?" I nodded. "Okay. Put your cat and your bag in the backseat."  
I did as she told me, shoving aside a duffel bag and a basketball.  
I guess her kids must've liked sports. Or maybe she worked out a lot.  
I didn't know what to say to her. So I said what I figured was polite.  
"Thank you," I mumbled. "Thank you, Miss..."  
Then the woman turned and smiled at me.

"Miss Smith. Loren Smith."

~~~

It was just a few moments later that I found myself sprawled out on the couch in Miss Smith's living room. She'd charged into another room, off to get, well, I didn't know what.  
I could hear her talking with someone from behind the door.

"You're home early." A male voice, muffled due to the door, said. Her husband or son, maybe?  
"There's a kid out in the den. Take this and check on him. I'm going to make a call."  
"Okay. Ay. Miss Smith, what's going on?" The male asked. Not a relation, I guess. I mean, how many men would address their wives as "Miss", anyway? Or sons to their moms, for that matter?  
"For the last time, don't call me Miss Smith. And I'm not sure what's going on. Just go!"  
"I..."  
"_Go_."

The next second the door in front of me had been opened. I tried to lift up my head to see who the mysterious male was, but my position on the couch made that kind of difficult.  
It didn't take me long to figure out who Mr. Mysterio was, anyway.  
Something hit the carpet with a hard thud. "Tobias?" Asked Male-in-Miss-Smith's-House.  
For a second I didn't believe it. But I _knew_ that voice. There was no doubt who it was.  
Ax Isthil. Our very own traitor. He hadn't meant to give us away, but he had just the same.  
Which didn't make the situation any less deadlier, that's for certain.  
"What are you doing here?" I asked him.  
"What happened to you?" He asked me.  
"You first." I said.  
Ax didn't answer for a second. I heard him picking up, I guess, whatever he'd dropped before.  
The next second I felt something beyond freezing touch my cheek where my Uncle's belt had ripped it open in just a few well-placed strikes. I felt the stinging go down a bit.  
It took me a second to realize Ax was holding an ice pack to my face.  
"Miss Smith, I mean Loren, is my foster mother." Ax explained.  
Then Loren Smith walked into the room, much to my relief. I didn't want to explain all this.  
She looked at Ax and me and I saw a small smile cross her lips. "I've called a doctor." She said.  
My eyes flickered to stare at her grey irises. It almost seemed like they were challenging me to say something, to tell her she didn't have to do what she did or something like that.  
I lost my nerve. "Thank you." I said.  
"No problem." Miss Smith said with a smile. Then her eyes turned serious as she took me in.  
As she saw the way my shirt had turned from white to looking like I'd spilled red wine over it.  
Of course, Miss Smith knew that wasn't wine on my shirt. Any idiot knew that.  
"Ax, you don't mind if he borrows one of your shirts, do you?" Miss Smith asked my tall friend.  
Ax shook his head. "I'll go get one." He added and then retreated out of the room.

That left me alone with Miss Smith.  
Yay.

She cast a glance at the door to, I guess, to check that Ax was out of hearing range.  
"If you don't want to tell me what happened, I'll understand." Miss Smith said.  
I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it. "But I've seen this before, kid."  
"Tobias." I said. "My name is Tobias."  
Miss Smith smiled at me. "No last name?" She asked. I shook my head. "No last name."  
"All right, Tobias. But, look, you have every right to keep whatever happened to yourself. I'm not gonna deny you that. But I have no idea how you're going to explain that," She pointed at my cheek, "To the doctor. So I suggest you tell me what happened." Loren Smith said.  
I was so tired. So tired of all of it. Of the flashbacks, of the fear, of my uncle.  
I guess that's why I told her.  
"My, my uncle did this." I said, lifting the ice pack off my cheek. "With a belt."  
I could swear that I saw tears in Miss Smith's eyes. But she said nothing.  
"I, um, I live with him. Or I did. I ran away." I explained.  
Miss Smith nodded. "I understand, Tobias." Then she shut her eyes and shook her head.  
"I came from a family like that. My dad never hit any of us kids, but the shouting matches were bad enough, you know? I stayed up all night listening to them scream. Ro and Mich, too."  
"Your brothers?" I asked. Miss Smith laughed. "Oh, no. Mich is a girl."  
"Oh." I laughed a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I just thought, you know..."  
"Don't be." Miss Smith told me. "Michelle _hates_ being called that." She said with a smile.  
The door opened again and Ax walked back in carrying a lump of clothes.  
For a split second, his face was angry. Almost like the day Marco and I cornered him.  
But then it disappeared the moment he saw Miss Smith and I.  
Miss Smith eyed the lump of cloth with confusion. "I just asked you to get a shirt." She said.  
"I thought Tobias might need more clothes than that." Ax muttered.  
Loren looked at me and then back to Ax. She rubbed her temple. "You might be right." She said.  
"I'm going to go put these in the washer." Miss Smith said, taking the clothes from Ax.  
"Doctor Glory should be here in a few minutes." She added before leaving the room.

I turned my head away from Ax. All of the sudden I felt guilty for not telling him.  
Not like, as Miss Smith had said, I had to. After all, Ax and I weren't what you'd call "best buds". We were acquaintances at best. But then again, I was the one bleeding on his couch.  
Ax had taken over ice-pack duty for me, so once again he was holding it to my stinging face.  
"Was this what caused your abrupt sign-off?" Ax asked me.  
I tried to grin but that hurt my face. "So to speak."  
Ax didn't have anything to say to that. He just held kept on holding the ice-pack, which was starting to turn the whole left side of my face numb. But compared to the pain I'd experienced earlier, a little numbness was a piece of cake.

The doctor, some college guy named Ben, looked me over. He said aside from the abrasions on my face I was in perfect health. I don't remember what Loren told him but I don't think she mentioned that my uncle was the one who'd cut up my face. I was grateful for that.  
I (and Dude, who was brought in while the doctor looked me over) were invited to spend the night. I was forced to wear a blue sweater of Ax's, which turned out to be a lot better than the humongus "3v1l l33t" t-shirt I had to borrow for sleeping in.  
At some point Loren set up a sleeping bag for me in Ax's room. I found Dude, out of his cat carrier and licking up as much water from the saucer as possible, in the corner.  
Dude wouldn't let me touch him. I guess he was pissed about being thrown in the carrier.

If it were me, I would've been pissed, too.

~~~

We arrived at the barn at 11:59 A.M., to be precise.  
At least that's what Ax _told_ me the time was. He has this ability to always know the time.  
It's kind of freaky, but very useful, as I (and all of us) would soon find out.  
You might be wondering how Ax and I ended up at Cassie's barn. Well, here's a condensed version.  
Loren woke both of us up by having her too-large-to-be-safe Golden Retriever leap on us.  
Thanks to Ax's shouts and screams I found out the dog's name was Champ.  
Then Loren treated us boys to breakfast. For the record, it was the first time I ever saw someone eat six pieces of French Toast without stopping for even a sip of water.  
After that, I was going to call Rachel and see if she'd been able to contact Cassie or Jake.  
Turns out Cassie called instead. She wanted to talk to Ax.  
Then followed a long, drawn-out begging period that resulted in Miss Smith agreeing to drive us.  
That was how we ended up at Cassie's barn.

I took the blue box with me, tucked deep into the recesses of my backpack.  
I didn't tell Ax about it. I was going to wait and tell everyone what I'd found.  
"Hey, guys." Cassie said as we walked up to the door. "The others should be coming soon."  
Then she opened up the door and Ax and I followed her inside.  
The moment I stepped in, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I _knew_ this place.  
I'd seen it before. I'd been _in_ it before.  
My eyes swept the rafters of the barn. I knew them, almost intimately.  
I knew this barn like it was almost a home away from home. I felt Cassie's hand on my shoulder.  
"Tobias, are you okay?" She whispered. I nodded. I was beyond freaked out but I was okay.  
I turned to look at Cassie and Ax. They were both looking at me with deep concern.  
Maybe a bit more concern in Ax's case, considering everything that happened last night.  
Nonetheless I saw Cassie pursing her lips as she looked at my face. "Tobias, what...?"  
Her question was stopped by the sound of a car parking outside. Cassie, Ax and I ran out.  
For a second I thought that it was Jake at the steering wheel of the old, once white, car.  
"That's Tom's car." Ax said, almost more to himself than aloud.  
"Tom? Isn't that Jake's brother?" Cassie asked. Ax nodded. "So I guess Jake's here." I said.

I was wrong.

It wasn't just Jake. Rachel and Marco also piled out of the car with him.  
Tom followed.  
I can't quite explain it but something about him creeped me out. Don't get me wrong, Tom was a nice guy. Maybe _too_ nice. Like the "best" friend who wants you to become their alibi.  
He sauntered up to Cassie and shook her hand. "So, you're Jake's girlfriend, right?" He asked.  
Both Cassie and Jake turned bright red, while I saw Rachel and Marco snigger.  
I felt jealous watching the two of them. And I didn't know if Rachel noticed the way Marco kept leaning towards her every five seconds. I noticed, though. It made me burn inside.  
"I'm not Jake's girlfriend." Cassie said. "I'm just a friend. And you're his brother, right?"  
"Well, to be honest with you, I'm Jake's evil twin." Tom said. Jake elbowed him in the ribs.  
Tom coughed and grabbed his side while he shot a glare at Jake. "I'm his brother." Tom said.  
Then Tom's eyes widened in surprise. "Ax! What're you doing here?" He asked.  
"Um, visiting Cassie. Sie." Ax mumbled. "And who are you?" Tom asked me.  
"I'm," I started to say, but Rachel jumped right into the middle of my sentence. "Tony!"  
Then she walked up very close me. Held my hand. "Tony, um, Phillips. My boyfriend." Rachel said.  
Then I heard Rachel whisper, her voice to level only I could hear, "Just play along."  
I didn't mention to Rachel that I was all too happy to play along, of course.  
Though I had no idea _why_ Rachel was putting up this charade.  
Tom raised an eyebrow. "Rachel, I thought your mom said you couldn't date 'til college."  
"Oh, well, Mom was joking." Rachel said, leaning just a bit on my shoulder.  
Tom shrugged. I guess he bought it. "Well, congrats to you and Tony." He said.  
"Jake! Don't forget, three o'clock!" Tom shouted. "I won't!" Jake shouted back.  
Then Tom left and we all went inside the barn. Cassie closed the door behind us.

Rachel was still holding my hand.

Marco's eyes darted from me to Ax and back again.  
"What's he," Marco said, jerking a thumb at Ax, "Doing here, Mystery Man?"  
I let go of Rachel's hand. But to my surprise, it was she who jumped on Marco. So to speak.  
"Oh, forget him for a second!" Rachel snapped. Marco glared at Rachel but let it go.  
Then Rachel turned to me. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, Tobias." She said.  
I could see Jake nodding in agreement with Rachel. "The cops came by my house." He said.  
"Looking for you." Jake added. "They said you ran away from home, Tobias."  
Looks of shock passed over Cassie and Marco's faces. But, to my surprise, not Ax's.  
"And look, maybe I'm paranoid, but I think those cops might be in league with _them_." Said Jake.  
_That explains why Rachel grabbed my hand._ I thought. "I didn't know." I whispered.  
I stared at the ground as my friends stared at me. "But I think I know why." I said.  
I tossed my backpack off of my shoulders. It hit the ground with a loud thump.  
I knelt down and unzipped my backpack, my hands searching for that blue box.  
I explained it to my friends as I tugged the box out. "I found this last night."  
Then I held up the blue box for all five of them to see.

**__**

FLASH!

I know that you are young. I know that you have no power with which to resist the Controllers. But I may be able to give you some small powers that may help. He said.  
I never took my eyes off of him, though I can't explain why.  
If you wish, I can give you powers that no human being has ever had. He added.  
"Powers?" Jake asked.  
It is a piece of Andalite technology that the Yeerks do not have.* The Andalite explained.  
A technology that allows us to pass unnoticed in many parts of the universe -- the power to morph. We have never shared this power. But your need is great.  
"Morph? Morph how?" Rachel asked, her voice fierce.  
To change your bodies. To become any other species. Any animal. The Andalite said.

I grabbed my head and turned it upward to look at my friends. "Did any of you?" I asked.  
Cassie nodded. "I remembered." She whispered. Rachel nodded, and so did Marco and Jake.  
"Guess that explains the whole I-am-King-Kong thing." Marco joked. We laughed a little.  
Except for Ax. He just kept his eyes on the blue box, saying nothing.  
"So this is how we turned into animals." Rachel whispered, looking at the blue box.  
"I think we're supposed to use it to fight them." Jake said. "But I don't know how."  
"I don't think we can." I said. "When I picked it up, I had a flashback."  
"The Andalite was the one that made this thing work." I explained.  
"Oh, great." Marco snorted. "Any of you guys see an Andalite around?" He asked.  
That was when my eyes turned to Ax. When all our eyes turned to Ax.

It wasn't something we could help.

Because, you see, Ax had started screaming his head off and in a few seconds, I saw why.

His whole body was melting.

* * *

****

I love surprises. (Reader Response)

Neri - Glad you like my writing. =) And, well, now Ax is next.  
And I'm pretty sure Officer Terrance isn't related to the Weasleys. He's a normal joe-schmoe.  
Or he _was_, he's probably a Yeerk by now. According to webster.com "constrast" means...a person or thing that exhibits differences when compared with another! Yay, new word of the day. =)  
I might add in Luna but not for a while, and it's probably best I don't add to the turmoil-to-be that is Marco's love life. The reason I don't change the description for each new chapter is because, as I found out with other series, when I did that only the people who've been keeping up-to-date with my fic knew what I was talking about in the summary. I want people to always know what the series is about. Actually, I like picking on Marco. Tobias is just the first one to get angstified (I made up a word) in this fic. The others have it comin' to 'em, Rachel and Ax in particular. I don't think the review-popup thingies changed on my computer but maybe I haven't been paying attention.  
And I don't think Cassie SHOULD have to kiss Jake when he has throw-up mouth.  
Right now this is a one-sided Rachel/Marco fic. Then it'll turn into a Marco/someone-else fic.  
And I updated, um, soonish...for me...

****

DawnOfEast - I was going to have Tobi go to Rachel's, but I think him running into Loren worked out a lot smoother. Plus now there's a cute hand-holding scene.

****

Rinkuman - Oooh, a cookie? We ran out of cookies at my house. =( Maybe that's why it took me so long to update. And I'm glad you liked Jake Da Leader and the "Let's Do It!"

****

Loony Lovegood - No fainting! Then you won't be able to update your fics!  
Yay, David AU! I really like David stories now...**grumbles** I knew I shouldn't have read One Least Likely, but I guess it's too late now. As for canon pairings, I'm not super-huge on J/C but they're okay. I really, really love R/T, though. They're my second-fave couple.  
Ax/Estrid does zip for me, though. But friendship ficcie for them would be cool.  
And about the two points you brought up -- in my head, Marco is bisexual. Attracted to both men and women. Hence the skirt-chasing and, IMHO, the overcompensating with the skirt chasing.  
And Ax, he _is_ still racist/sexist somewhat, but nowhere near to the degree he was at the end of the series. And it's my personal opinion that he's really become more at home on Earth than amongst the Andalites. Think about it, he's like Tobias minus the actual nothlitness.  
I could discuss these things more in depth but I won't right now cause I'm tired.  
Jake books are good. Though I find Ax books are constient faves. (Then Marco and Rachel books.)  
I believe the grammar error you caught needs to be fixed. =P And there's more nightmares to come. There'll be an entire chapter about it in Chron. 2. (Damn Buffy giving me ideas...)  
Well, _now_ Ax is up next. =) And, well, Tobi will get his wings but I'm not going the nothlit route, I confess. Besides, Ax isn't getting his tail back in a regular way.  
And _I_ like AI! It's geeky and cute! =P It could even stand for Andalite Intellegence, mm-hmm. I like it lots.

****

freak show - I have to ask -- are your nerves speeding again? And writer's block SUCKS.  
I agree with you, too, that what happened with Tobi had to happen sooner or later. Sad but true.  
Oooh, and do re-read the fic! I like it when people do that.

****

DH - I'm glad someone out there liked the Jake/Tom part, and I did mean for it to be sad.  
And isn't Marco such a little annoying man? You're right, it is good to have Rachel shut him up.  
I _was_ gonna have Cassie clear Ax's name and all, but that didn't pan out. She still gets to be cool as far as Ax is concerned, though. You'll see. No, Tobi won't get caught.  
And, whoa, my stories are your faves? Um...um...I'm shocked...thanks!

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43ll3, Qu33n of 1ns4n!ty - `/00r name is very l33t. Sorry FFN deleted your smart review, it's done that to me a whole bunch of times. Or my computer freezes up, which is equally sucky.  
Glad you liked the canon pairings, though I warn you this will eventually teeter into not-so-canon territory, but that's not till parts 2 and 3. And I'm sure there's another fangirl for Marco somewhere -- dun worry, Harry needs the comfort...and that sounds a lot more perverted than it did in my head. And while I actually (gasp!) like Avril, sk8tr boi isn't all that cute.  
Whee! Sims! I like the Sims. I'm making some Animorphs sims, actually. But they probably won't be finished 'til, like, next year. And "Shake Ya Tail-Feathers"...oh god, bad R/T images! Eeek!  
Nice quote, by the way.

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Freak Apple - Y'know what I just noticed? First, _I_ have Tobias take Dude in my fic, then all of the sudden he shows up two of my fave fics. (One Least Likely and THE ISLAND! Whee!)  
I smell me's a conspiracy, I do. Oh, and Yeerks are friggin' scary if you know nothing about them. By the way, I wouldn't recommend jumping on my bed. One of my friends bent the frame and so now it might collaspe under you at any moment. And that would hurt a lot. And possibly cause you ANOTHER trip to THE HOSPITAL! (Which you need to update!)

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Patrick Blah - Okay, two fics...updated within days of each other...you like slash fics?  
Oh wait, I'm thinking of different fics. =P But, lemme guess, you like One Least Likely, too?  
**frowns** 'Cept I don't think that was within in two days...gah, I feel stupid now.  
Glad you like Jake and Tom, and creepy dreams.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Ax

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"Life is just one damned thing after another." - Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915) 

* * *

**- Chapter Fifteen-  
Ax **

I am Ax Isthil and I have no idea what the hell is happening to me.

It started with a weird sensation in my hand. At first I didn't even notice it, but then a second later I glimpsed my palm.

I'd grown two extra fingers on my right hand.

__

That was when I started screaming.

The others all turned to look at me and they started screaming, too. Not that I blame them.  
My face was melting along with the rest of my body as it began to shift and change.  
The odd thing was that it didn't hurt. It was beyond strange, I admit, but not painful.  
Or maybe I'd gone too deep into shock to even feel the pain.  
I could feel organs in my body sloshing around as they began metamorphosing into something else.  
I felt my heart turn into hearts. With an s. Plural!  
"Heeeppp!" I screamed. I'd meant to say "help me" but my lips had sealed themselves shut.

Help me! I begged, to anyone who could hope to hear me.

I saw Cassie lurch over like she was about to faint. The others just stared, transfixed in horror.  
Then Cassie began walking towards me.  
"Ax? Ax!" She shouted. "Ax, don't panic. Just go with it." She coaxed me.  
We all stared at her. Then I felt her take a hold of one of my multifingered hands.  
"You'll be okay." She whispered. "You'll be okay." But it turned out Cassie spoke too soon.  
Because at that moment we all heard cars parking outside the barn.  
"Jake?" Cassie asked, still holding my mutated appendage, "Go see what it is."  
Jake opened the barn door just a crack. Big enough for him to peek through undetected.  
"It's some guy." Jake reported.  
"Do you know him?" Rachel asked. Jake shook his head. "Never seen him before." He whispered.  
Jake popped his head back inside the barn the split second I hit the ground.  
Soon I realized that I was growing an extra set of legs. Cassie threw a hand over her mouth.  
I could tell by the look on her face she was trying not to vomit.  
Jake hit the dirt, hard, his eyes a reflection of sick disbelief.  
"Oh." Rachel moaned. "Look at his head."  
Having no idea what Rachel was talking about, I started feeling the top of my cranium.  
Something had grown there. Two stalks of flexible skin were now perched on top of my head.

With eyes attached.

"What the hell are those?" One of the guys shouted. I think it was Marco.  
Despite all the other choas running rampant through my body, I still had my ears and I could hear footsteps. Jake must've heard them as well because he whispered that we all had to shut up _now_.  
He nodded over to Cassie and I. "Go hide." He whispered to me. "Cassie, go help him."  
"All right." Cassie whispered as she took my hand and pulled me off the ground.  
We ran off behind a few huge bales of hay.

"Ax, j-just close your eyes." Cassie instructed me.  
"It's not gonna kill you, I remembered that. It just feels weird." She added.  
That's an understatement. I thought as I closed all four of my eyes.  
"You can talk in that body?" Cassie whispered.  
If I could have, I would've told Cassie that no, there was without a doubt no way I could talk.  
_So why is she asking?_ I asked myself. But before I got an answer I shoved Cassie away.  
I was growing a tail.  
Someone began rapping on the barn doors. I heard them squeak as they opened, slow, to try and give me and Cassie some extra time. Which was good, since patches of fur started sprouting all over my body. Under normal circumstances that would've freaked me out, but after all the other changes I'd gone through, I didn't care if I turned into a damn Furby.  
Then I heard Cassie's voice. "Ax?" She asked me. "Is it over?"  
I knew what she meant. Whatever had been happening to me had stopped. It was over.  
As best I could do in my new form, I nodded. Then I opened my eyes.  
The first thing I saw was Cassie staring at me like I was some kind of a ghost.  
"Oh my god." Cassie gasped. "Ax, you, you look just like _him_." She said.  
On pure instinct, I swiveled my stalk eyes down and looked down at the rest of my body.  
I almost fainted.  
I'd become the alien in my flashback. I'd become an Andalite.  
Holy hell. I thought. Cassie gave me a quizzical look, but she didn't say anything.  
Instead, Cassie walked out from behind the hay. I followed her as best I could.  
Walking on four legs isn't easy. You've got more balance than you have with the normal two, but it's also pretty easy to forget to move the new legs you've acquired.  
In particular, it was hard to walk with hooves. Hooves that would every few seconds suck up dirt, which I had the wonderful pleasure of tasting. It more or less tastes like you think it would.  
But somehow I managed to trot, so to speak, over to the others.  
They all had the same expression of pure disbelief that Cassie'd donned just a few seconds ago.

Then the barn doors swung open.

Seven pairs of eyes, counting my two new peepers, turned to see whom it was. What it was.  
"Hey," It said. "Hope I'm not too late."  
I just stared, shocked to the core. I tried pinching myself to see if I was dreaming.  
An effort that was in vain. I knew that this was no dream.  
"Who are you?" Jake asked. There was a dangerous look in his eyes. Like he might attack, if he needed to. I hoped that our visitor wouldn't be stupid enough to piss him off.  
"You mean Ax didn't mention me? I'm crushed!" Our Visitor said, laughing, his voice sardonic.  
"But since you asked, I'm Erek King. And you guys need to get out of here." Erek said.  
Then he nodded over to the blue box lying by Tobias's backpack. "Might want to bring that."  
"My car's by the back and I'll explain on the way." He added.  
Jake looked to me and Erek. Suspicion danced in his eyes. "Where are you taking us?" He asked.  
"Somewhere safe, Jake. Somewhere where _they_ won't find you." Erek asked.  
Jake bit his lip. Glanced at me again. "Why should I trust you?"  
"Let me put it this way; do you have a choice?" Erek asked.  
Jake's eyes swept the barn again and he sighed. Ran a hand through his hair. "No." He whispered.  
Tobias picked up the blue box, stuffed into his backpack and swung it over his shoulder.

"Let's go." Erek said.

~~~

"Can't you speed up?"  
"Can't you put on a seat belt?"  
"You don't have any, _Dad_."

Rachel had grown antsy and was unleashing some of her frustration at Erek.  
To be honest with you, I have no idea what her problem was. It's not like she was the one who kept falling down every time Erek hit a speed bump. I would've tried sitting down, but I found that to be next-to-impossible in my new body. So I had to hold onto the railing and pray that I wouldn't crash down onto the metal, which I had already done twice.  
It'd taken Jake and Cassie three minutes to get me back into a standing position.

"Anyway, as I was saying before a certain blonde someone interrupted me, that blue box can give you the power to morph. To change into any animal that you touch." Erek said.  
"You're serious?" Tobias asked. He was just about cradling his backpack in his hands.  
"One-hundred percent." Erek said.  
Then, "Oh, crap!" Erek's voice cried out. With an impressive wham, we all flew up in the air. Then we all came crashing back down on the hard steel of the truck.

"OW!"

"Sorry!" Erek shouted.  
"That's gonna hurt in the morning." Marco groaned. "You're not trying to kill us, are you?"  
"If I was, I'd have given you to that cop I almost hit." Erek replied.  
"What cop?" Jake asked, alarmed. He and Cassie were trying their best to get me off the floor.  
"Um, I think he was a redhead. I didn't get a good look." Erek muttered.  
"But he's, like, way behind us now, right?" Jake asked. "Should be." Erek said.  
Jake breathed a sigh of relief while I just wondered what the heck that was all about.  
"Now, what about this blue box? It can turn you into animals?" Cassie asked.  
"Well, yes. It's a piece of Andalite technology, by the way, not something they're born with."  
Erek went on. "The Yeerks would do _anything_ to get their hands that box. They'll even reveal the damn invasion if it will assure them the cube. Because if the Andalites have one real advantage in this war, it's the morphing power. But if the Yeerks got a hold of it..."  
"Bye-bye Andalites?" Marco offered.  
"Try, 'Bye-bye Earth.'" Erek said. "And that's just the tip of the iceberg."  
Marco didn't say anything to that. Neither did the rest of us.

But what could we have said to finding out Tobias had one of the most dangerous weapons in the galaxy hidden in his backpack?

"Look on the bright side; the Yeerks don't have the box just yet. You do." Erek said.  
"Whoop-de-doo." Marco said, rolling his eyes. Rachel elbowed him in his side.  
"Shut up." She growled. Marco winked at her, a huge grin plastered on his face.  
"Why don't you make me?" He asked.  
This time, Rachel rolled her eyes. "You're revolting." She said, smiling.  
"I think the word you're looking for is 'charming'." Marco told her.  
"No, no, I'm pretty sure I meant revolting." Rachel assured him. Marco just shook his head.  
"You're just having trouble adjusting to the fact that you can't resist my ruggish good looks."  
"You mean your girly hair and that annoying smirk? Face reality, Marco." Rachel said.  
"I am facing reality. It's you who's in denial." Marco said.  
"Right. Tubs of denial for me." Rachel said, then she began inspecting the blue box with Tobias.  
She was oblivious to the irritated, hurt look that passed over Marco's face. I wasn't.

We just listened to Erek after that. Listened as he explained all about the Yeerks, the invasion, and the weapon we now possessed.

~~~

It was 1:32 in the afternoon when Erek opened up the driver's door of the FedEx Truck.  
He assured us that he was just going inside the house to check out a few things.  
Looking back on it, I'm not sure why we trusted him at first. I suppose it was because we couldn't deny that what he was telling us was the truth. Sure, we could've said he was crazy.  
But all six of us were incapable of lying to ourselves about Erek's words.  
Plus, turning from high school boy to blue furry alien made you a little less eager to declare someone else nutso. Seeing it happen didn't help much, either.  
Erek had left the six of us in the back of the truck with the box.

"How'd you get it?" Rachel asked Tobias. Even though she was too busy eyeing his carved cheek to notice, or care, about the box.  
"I found it last night when I was, um, walking around." Tobias mumbled.  
"Night? Isn't that, like, super-dangerous for punching bags like you?" Marco asked.  
Rachel glared at him but Tobias didn't seem fazed. He shrugged. "It's not so bad." He said.  
I could tell that Tobias wanted to get away from the topic. He didn't want the others to know what I already knew, even though Tobias had no clue about my knowledge.  
I'd overheard Mrs. Smith and Tobias talking last night. I knew what had happened.  
I had read in Tobias's profile that he lived with an uncle, a man named Rodney Thomas Avan.  
Mr. Avan was best known for his numerous DUI's but he did have a history of random violence.  
I guess it was never reported when that "random violence" was unleashed on Mr. Avan's nephew.  
It made me feel sick inside.  
Tobias was my only friend. It was no secret that the others, except maybe Cassie, didn't trust me.  
Who could blame them?  
Looking at the others, the obviousness of it hurt. I wasn't like them. I was different.  
I'd wanted to be their friend but I'd blown that chance to smithereens the second I agreed to Chapman's proposition. Despite that, I'd hoped that maybe they could forgive me.  
The truth was that I'd been hoping that maybe I'd found the people who would accept me.  
I was an idiot. A naive idiot.  
I've always been different, that's no secret. Normal people don't have the kind of intelligence I do, or an odd ability to tell time. They don't acquire athletic talents for no reason.  
Normal people don't turn into aliens.

Tobias kept on talking. "When I picked it up, I remembered the Andalite using it."  
"He made us--Jake, Rachel, Cassie, and Marco--place our hands on it. Then he did the same."  
Tobias smiled. "I remember this funny tingle come over me. Then the flashback stopped."  
"So it made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?" Jake said, an eyebrow raised.  
Cassie had been staring at the box for a while. "The Andalite said it made you able to morph."  
_Morph_. That was the word for what I'd done; for what Cassie had remembered doing.  
Changing your body to that of any living animal, regardless of what planet it's from.  
Well, I'm an Andalite, or at least in the form of one. I said. Perhaps I could use it.  
I wasn't quite "speaking" in the usual sense. It was more like I was directing my thoughts to the others. I'd done it earlier, on instinct, without realizing. Hence Cassie's weird looks.  
Rachel grinned. "I like the sound of that."  
I turned all four of my eyes to Tobias. Could you give it to me? I asked.  
Tobias did so. I would've smiled, if I'd had a mouth at the time.  
As I placed my hand on one of the smooth edges of the box, I could feel it charging up.  
Any volunteers? I asked.  
Tobias was the first to put his hand on the box. Then Rachel, then Jake, then Cassie, then Marco.

**__**

FLASH!

Press your hand on the square nearest you, I said.

I passed the morphing power onto the others.  
I didn't even give a second thought to my flashback. I just assumed I was remembering a similar, perhaps even the same, event. Was it not possible I was "The Andalite" everyone else remembered?  
Cassie did say that I looked just like him, after all.

The next second the others all removed their hands from the cube.  
"I say we try it out." Jake said.  
Marco shook his head. "No. There is no way I'm going to do it until I see him," he pointed at me, "Turn back into a human. I'm not going to risk being a cockroach forever."  
I felt like an utter idiot. It hadn't occurred to me that I could change back.  
But could I? This change had been forced upon me, and I'd been an alien for an hour and a half.  
Was there some sort of time limit? If so, had I exceeded it?  
I don't know if I can do that. I admitted. Cassie put her hands on her hips and glared me down.  
It was funny, how much she reminded me of Mrs. Smith when she did that.  
"Why wouldn't you be able to?" She demanded. Cassie then stood next to me.  
"What I remember was thinking about turning into a horse." She said. "I pictured the changes."  
"Then, bit by bit, I _was_ becoming the horse. It worked. So just picture turning back into yourself, Ax." Cassie then hugged me. "I believe in you." She whispered.  
So then I started to think about it. I thought about losing the extra fingers, the blue fur, and the tail. I thought about the color of my hair and the shape of my nose.  
I thought about it like I've never thought about anything in my life.  
Then I felt the changes begin. My stalk eyes began to shrink and sink into my head.  
Judging from the ill looks on the others' faces, it wasn't a pretty sight.  
The blue fur began melting away. The tail re-entered my derriere.  
I swung backwards, losing any control over my balance as my two extra legs began to shrivel up.  
I felt someone grab me seconds before I hit the ground.  
As my eyes, which were becoming blurrier by the second, locked onto said person I was shocked.  
It was Marco.  
Thanks. I said to him. He shrugged and let me go a moment later as I balanced again.  
Which was a good thing, because it wasn't long after that I realized I was a lot less "covered" than I had been when I'd entered Cassie's barn. The next second girls turned away.  
Jake and Marco politely fixed their eyes on the wall.  
Tobias began rummaging through his backpack for clothes. I hoped he had a shirt that fit me.

As I found a few moments later, he did. When I was dressed again, I turned back to the others.  
"We're gonna have to find something to do about that." Jake said. I nodded with utmost vigor.

Because, speaking for myself, I had no desire for the others to see me in the buff.

And I like to think the feeling was mutual.

~~~

Erek and the other Chee were going to keep us for the weekend. Most of them dropped by our houses.  
I told one, a Chee who went by the name Maria, that there was no need to stop by Tobias's home.  
With the cops already searching for him, there was no use in further arousing suspicion.  
Besides that, I didn't want Rodney T. Avan to be able to find his nephew any time soon.  
Erek arranged two rooms for us upstairs. One for the boys and another for the girls.  
We also acquired dog morphs when Erek showed us the downstairs kennel.  
I had acquired myself a mute gray mutt.  
After dinner, the six of us hit the sack. Jake and I let Marco and Tobias take the beds, while we borrowed a couple of spare sleeping bags Erek had lying around.

It had been a hell of a day.

Aside from having my insides go out and back again, I was still trying to wrap my head around everything that Erek told us inside the truck. He told us all about The Sharing.  
The Sharing, which you might know as a New-Age Boys and Girls Club, is a front for the Yeerks.  
The Yeerks are parasitic slugs that force you into slavery the moment they crawl into your ear.  
Anyone who tells you that they're a "full member" of The Sharing is a Controller.  
Slave to the slug in their head. They could be anyone, too. The little kid down the street.  
Or maybe your principal. Maybe the guy on the basketball team who's trying to be your friend.  
Next to the Chee, there is no defense against the Yeerks.  
And the Chee can't do much. They're just androids incapable of violence.  
All that the Chee can do is infiltrate and play spy, which doesn't help much when there's no one to spy for.

"What will we do?" Jake's voice filled the room.  
"Hnh?" Marco groaned.  
"What are we going to do about the Yeerks?" Jake asked the three of us.  
"What's with the 'we' stuff?" Marco asked Jake, his voice tinged with wariness.  
"Aside from the Chee we're the only ones who know what's going on." Jake stated.  
"The only ones who can do something." Tobias whispered.  
"What? We're gonna morph fleas and itch 'em all to death?" Marco asked.  
"Or we could morph rhinos and rip the place apart." I suggested.  
"Like we're gonna get into the rhino exhibit at the zoo." Marco said.  
"Cassie's parents own The Gardens, y'know." Jake said.  
"Shut up." Marco told him. "We don't have to do a damn thing."  
"You're right, Marco." Tobias said. "But you really want to leave Earth to the Yeerks?"

Marco didn't have anything to say to that.  
This might sound odd, but I can't say that I blamed him. I knew the urge to save your own skin.  
Or the urge to keep your skin saved for someone else's sake.  
But Tobias had a point. We couldn't just sit by and let the world crumble, could we?

I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted some sleep.

I had no urge to explore the reasons behind my change. No urge to know what Erek must know about us. No urge to put the weight of the world on my shoulders.  
But I did have one thing I wanted to do before I gave to sleep.

"Tobias?" I asked.  
"Ax? What is it?" He whispered.  
"I'm sorry about your uncle." I said, feeling like a jackass.  
"How? Oh. You overheard, didn't you?" Tobias asked. "Yeah, I did." I admitted. "Sorry."  
"It's okay. I just, just don't tell the others. I don't want them to know." Tobias told me.  
"I won't. I promise." I said. I meant it.  
"Thanks." Tobias whispered.

I heard him turn in the bed, away from me, as ready as I was to fall into the abyss.

"Good night, Tobias." I said.  
"Good night, Ax."

* * *

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Wunnit that sweet? Didn't this chap suck? (Reader's Response)

Siora - Why, no, Ax never turns into an Andalite. Never ever. =P Sorry 'bout the long chap wait!

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Angelrain32515 - Glad you like the fic. =)

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Lavenderangel - Look on the bright side, FFN posted ONE of your long reviews. And, no, Loren doesn't remember Tobias and I'm not certified to tell you if she ever will or if he'll live with her and Axy. Maybe it's 'cuz I'm usually getting ready for bed by now, but instant morphing = instant noodles in my head. And the next Rach chap should have enough R/T to tide you for a while. =) No spoilers! And sex junkmails suck, and hey, no problem about the other thing.

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Ash - Glad you like the fic. And, gee, a lot of people seem to prefer Human!Ax to Andalite!Ax. And I'm gonna confess right here, right now, that I'm not all that sure how the plot's gonna pan out, either. Which isn't a good thing, is it? And, hey, who says Tobias's uncle didn't get bribed or something? And I think you're the first person to compliment my Marco, so yay! **hands over a plushie**

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Freak Apple - Aha, traitorous copycatter person! Nah, I'm just kidding. Actually, it's kinda cool to see bits of this fic showing up in other stories -- like other people using "Branch" or "Jones" for last names. Copying my fic is a whole different deal, though. Grr to that. And no comments about whether Tobias will live with Loren and Ax. And I think Rach's mom was probably kidding about the "no dating 'til college" thing. And if she wasn't, you think that's gonna stop Rachel? And if you hate cliffies, maybe you should stop reading this fic, 'cuz I like ending my chaps on cliffies. My M/A fic had lots of cliffies, too. And you should definitely update THE HOSPITAL, 'cuz I like that one, even though Marco got an anal probe...which, um, is actually very nasty. Especially to a slash fan. I'm gonna shut up now.

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DawnOfEast - Actually, this chap's rather tame. Next few chaps are when the madness really kicks in. Glad you liked the hand-holding scene.

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DH - I'm gonna try and squeeze in "quality shorm time" soon. And I'm glad you liked the hand-holding scene, too. And Ax isn't even close to freaking out YET. **hides spoilers**  
And, yes, Ax is a human nothlit in his "natural" form. Hence his time-tracking and b-ball ability.

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SouthrnBelle - I'll get more R/T in very soon, promise ya. And David's gonna show up in Part Two of this fic, so don't worry about him. You're right about the Buffy/Faith/Rachel thing. Though I think David's more of a Faith than Rachel--or, well, Rachel's more like Redeemed!Faith and David's Crazy!Faith. David's also kinda Spike-like, too. But I'm gonna try and focus on Rachel's craziness without making her too crazy...

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DJ Eagel **gasp** Read the other chapters, or else you'll get real bad confused, I promise! And the Tobias thing had to be done for plot's sake, unfortunately.

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Loony Lovegood - Ha. Does this mean I surprised you? But, heehee, I'm waiting to see your face after some of the stuff that'll happen in the next few chaps. They'll knock your socks off, I hope. And Ax-freakage is commencing, though it won't go into full swing 'til Part Two. Let's just say he's got Identity Crisis From Hell waiting for him. 38 did kick ass. Sort of a pity Estrid didn't stick around, though. Not a fan of hers and Blueboy's romance, but I think an Andalite buddy woulda been good for Ax. Lisa Harkrader and Kim Morris are, I think, my fave ghosties. Their books rock. Sorry I haven't reviewed your fics yet, btw. I was trying to get this damn thing finished. No idea what's up with FFN's search, either.

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Patrick Blah - Oh cool, a OLL fan AND an anirarepair person! YAAAY! Glad you liked Tom, the plot twist, and cliffie from hell.

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freak show - Controlling your nerves might come in handy for the next few chaps, just so you know. Ax and the others probably will have nightmares for life. And as far as I know, Tobias has no pictures of Loren. And feel free to ask me your other question, if you remember it.

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Dysphoria - You should review more. =P And after cranking out this chap, I'm convinced nothing'll keep me from finishing this fic except for my own health. And school, since it sucks.  
And Dr. Ben Glory was chockfull 'o Buffy ref. 


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Marco

Author's Note: After the third (yes, third) time re-writing this baby here, finally, is the chapter everyone's been waiting for.  
To make a long story short -- I've lost this entire chapter twice while typing it up, have rewritten it thrice, and also got my second bought of whooping cough in two months.  
What I really want to mention is that this is almost the end of part one of this series. After Rachel, Cassie and a surprise character's chapters, I'm going to start on Chronicle Two. Yay! Enjoy.

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Threads of Fate  
Chronicle One

* * *

"Life's just full of surprises." - Anonymus

* * *

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Chapter Sixteen  
-Marco-

I could hear Jake's throught-speaking echoing in my head. Ready?  
Let's do it! Rachel's voice echoed out to all of us. She was excited about of all of this, though I had no idea why. I was starting to think the girl might be missing a few floors upstairs. Not that I minded much.  
At least her gung-ho-ness gave me something to make fun of, which made this whole thing a hell of a lot easier. Yeah. I chimed in. Xena's waiting.  
oh, shut up. Rachel grumbled--but just to me. Besides, Xena? That show is so old!  
Yeah, but nothing beats a chick in a leather suit. I told her.  
Men. Rachel said, her voice filled with amusement and contempt.  
Now, everyone remembers the plan, right? Jake asked.  
No. I got hit by a 2-by-4 and lost all my memory. I muttered, making my voice light so that Jake knew I was kidding. He wasn't the kind of guy you wanted getting mad at you, you know what I mean? He wasn't a bully, but her was big, and you knew he wouldn't take crap from anybody. Not even from his best friend in a past life.  
Did I mention that my life has become super-weird as of late?  
Anyway, long story short, we ran through the plan one last time just in case anyone had forgotten any cruicial details, then we took flight.

The six of us were flying to the mall to check up on some rumors.  
Rumors that a new Yeerk Pool was being built. A place where little slugs from outer space can crawl up into your ear and take over your mind. I'm not kidding. There's already one in town, underneath my high school.  
The Chee, a peaceful race of androids that work at revealing the Yeerks, had received notification that the mall had closed down yesterday.  
Saturday. The day we had all gained our morphing power, six days after I had my first flashback. It was hard to believe that it'd been such a short time.

Can I just say these birds morphs are so cool? Tobias gushed for the millionth time.  
He was flying as a red-tailed hawk, one of the many birds over at Cassie's barn, where Erek had driven us to get morphs for the mission.  
We were going to avoid being seen by anyone in town until Monday, to keep the Yeerks off our trail. Erek had a hologram around us the whole time we'd been acquiring. I nabbed an osprey.  
My morph's cooler than yours, Birdboy. I told Tobias. And I think it was true. I mean, _nothing_ in the world could have beaten this vision.  
Yeah, right. Tobias scoffed. A hawk could kick your feathered butt any day.  
You wanna test that? I asked. I swear, if a hawk could've grinned, it was doing it then.  
Guys, we don't have time for this. Jake said. Besides, falcons can kick both your butts.  
oh yeah right! I shouted. If Tobias and I tag-teamed on you...  
Then I'd help prove Jake right. Ax, of course, also in a dangerous falco9n morph.  
Like you'd beat us. I said. Piece of cake. Ax replied.  
'Til Cassie and I decided jump your feathers. Rachel said as we started to fly over the mall roof. Right, Cass?  
Cassie laughed. Right--watch out!

TSSEEEW! TSSEEEWW! TSSEEW!

Beams of red light filled the sky. Beams aimed right at us.

I watched as one of them struck a car in the parking lot. The car evaporated.

oh my god! I screamed. They're gonna kill us!  
Everyone, retreat! I think it's pretty obvious the Yeerks are here. Jake ordered.  
I was all too glad to follow his command. I powered every muscle in the osprey's body to flee. I could see the others doing the same.  
TTSSEEWW! Like a crack of red lightening, the red beam shot through the air.

And shot me in the left wing.

Pain! Pain unlike anything I had ever experienced as a human. A loud sharp cry came out of my beak, both from the pain and my sudden loss of balance.  
Because, as I realized when my lazer-focus eyes saw the left side of my body, I was now lacking a left wing. And I was plummeting to the ground, quick.  
Marco! I heard the others screaming. I also heard, through the blinding pain, two other voices. Human.  
"You should have just killed it, Iniss." A male voice. Sort of familiar.  
"Why? That bird will do it for me." Said a girl's voice. Wait. What eagle?  
I felt another explosion of pain as sharp talons dug into my feathered back. Don't worry, I've got you. The owner of the talons said. Rachel.  
"Plus, now that birdie gets a nice juicy meal. See, Temrash?" The woman asked.  
The male sighed. "I suppose, though you know can't just scare birds away with Dracons, right? Humans _will_ notice disappearing birds."  
Marco, are you okay? Rachel asked. Aside from almost dying, you mean? I drawled.  
Duh. Rachel snipped as we continued flying away.  
"I've got to get back. My brother--host's brother, I mean, is getting home tomorrow. Our parents are probably worried." Said the guy.  
"_Our_ parents?" The girl snapped. "The host's parents." The guy amended.  
"See you at school, then." The girl said. "I've got to fix this baby up for Visser one."

__

Visser One? I wondered. _Who's Visser One?_

~~~

"Visser Thee's boss. The real head honcho when it comes to Earth."  
Erek was sitting with the six of us at lunch today.  
Jake and Rachel had forced him into promising to explain after we got back from our adventure at the mall, five birds and one very tired boy.  
"So she's in charge of operations?" Cassie asked, forking a piece of lettuce. Erek shook his head. "No. She gave control over the invasion over to Visser Three, but she's still able to check on his progress. He's got to make himself look good, make it seem like the planet's crumbling on her knees." Erek said.  
"Sounds like when I clean my room." I joked. Everyone giggled. A little.  
I think we were all freaked out. I know I was, but I was trying not to think about last night.  
"So, the boss is coming to make an inspection, am I right?" Ax asked.  
"In a manner of speaking. I doubt that Visser One is going to come down to Earth herself--Visser Three's been wanting to take her down a few knotches for a long time now, and the less time spent with Visser Three is all the better for her. If I were you guys, I wouldn't about Visser One, at least not yet. Your problem is that new Yeerk Pool. I'd suggest you find some way to shut it down and fast. Ignore the politics and get rid of the place." Erek said, all in a rush. Like he wanted to get off the subject.  
Rachel nodded to herself. "We could get some heavy-duty morphs and rip that place apart."  
"Wouldn't that make the Yeerks suspicious?" Tobias asked her. Rachel frowned.  
Call me an asshole but that made me want to do a happy dance.  
I'm not going to lie -- I like Rachel. She's crazy, but beautiful.  
I guess I should mention that to her sometime. Well, the "I like her" part, anyway. But I haven't yet. I mean, blurting out "I want your hot body!" in the middle of a fight or after some kind of flashback just doesn't seem tactful to me. But I will tell her. Soonish.  
I'm just going to wait for some peace and quiet. But I think my prospects for boyfriend-dom are good. I mean, she did save my life. And she hangs out with me. And, here's the big part: she tolerates my jokes.  
So that's a lot more points that most girls.

I'd just have to get her away from Tobias for a while. She may not realize it, but the guy's got the dopey-eyes for her. I can sort of tell, knowing the feeling myself. Lucky for me he doesn't seem her type. I hope.

Then the bell rang. We all got up to throw away our trash and grab our stuff. Jake dashed out of the cafeteria with his Biology book. Rachel headed off to German, Tobias to History, and Cassie off to her own Biology class.  
That left me alone with Ax, trying to stuff all my books into one itty-bitty bag. Goody.  
"You're not gonna be late, are you?" He asked me.  
Distracted, I shook my head. "No. Besides, Ms. Rosenberg never counts me absent."  
Ax laughed. "I wish my coach was the same way."  
We both slung our backpacks on. Ax over both his shoulders, me over my right.  
"Oh yeah, how's um, how's that basketball thing working out for you?"  
"Good, good." Ax muttered, pushing the cafeteria doors open to free us both.  
"Awesome." I said.  
We started making our way into the building. "Yeah, it is."  
"Cool." I mumbled, following Ax's long strides to the building. "Can I say something?"  
"Depends." He muttered. I laughed, then just spilled it out. "Sorry."  
"I didn't like you, and I didn't trust you." I said. "And I'm not sure if I do or not right now, but we're in the same boat, so..."  
"You were right not to trust me." Ax whispered. I looked up only to see him determined not to meet my eyes. "If it wasn't for the flashbacks, I probably would've, well, y'know." He mumbled. "Given us up."  
"Oh." I said, my voice sounded dull even to me.  
"Sorry." Ax whispered, running a nervous hand through his hair. Then a tiny, almost instinctual smile split onto his face. "My class's this way."  
This is gonna sound odd, but he had a nice smile, when I thought about it.  
"Oh. Well, see you, Ax." I said, giving him a quick wave.  
He gave me one back before he trotted down the opposite hall.

It was far from a reconciliation between us, but it was a start.

And the truth is, I felt better for it.

~~~

We'd all decided to go hit the mall again on Tuesday.  
But not as birds and not at night. None of us wanted to try our luck against those red beams again.

"Someone's a sour grape today." Dad teased as I flung the door open.  
I tried to scowl at him, but it changed into a smile.  
I shrugged. "I hard a hard day at school." I lied.  
Dad laughed and ruffled my hair. "Well, how 'bout some pizza, then?"  
"You're serious?" I shouted. Dad nodded. "You are the best dad ever."  
"Yeah, well, I got my first paycheck." He muttered. I know it sounds corny, but I was proud of him. It felt good to see him get his life back after all these years. It was the next best thing to having my mom back.  
"Aweome." I said. I wanted to hug him, but duh, I didn't.  
"I'll go order that pizza. You go--go hang or whatever." He said.  
I ran upstairs and flung my door open, awaiting TV's warming glow.

Instead I leapt fifty feet in the air.

Standing there, in a tight spandex shirt and blue Day-Glo shorts, was Jake.

It took a lot of power not to slam my door. "What the _hell_ are you doing in my room?"  
"And while we're on the subject, how did you get here?"  
Jake shrugged. "I morphed. Remembered the place from when Tom picked you up, demorphed in the closet."  
"Oh." I muttered. Then I glanced sideways at him. "What are you doing here?"  
Jake sighed and looked down at the ground. "I need to tell you something."  
I stepped away from him, even closer to the door, so I could heard Dad. "Shoot. What?"  
"You don't have to go on Tuesday if you don't want to."  
I whirled around to look at him. "Very funny."  
"I mean it." Jake kept his eyes off me. "It's dangerous."  
"Are you nuts?" I yelped. "I mean, hey, not placing myself in life-threatnening peril, I'm all for that; but the yeerks are messing with my mall."  
I was lying, of course. Truth was, even if I didn't like it, I knew the world was at stake. The other, who were turning into my friends despite myself. My Dad. The Yeerks could destroy all that but I didn't want them to.  
Jake didn't laugh at my joke. I felt a chill go down my spine.  
"Because, I can assure you that I won't die." I told him. "I'm death-proof."  
Footsteps started thumping their way up the stairs. "Shit, it's my dad! Hide!"  
Jake ran into my closet and shut the door tight. Dad swung the other door open, and looked at me with a pen and a pad of paper in his hand.  
"What kind do you want?" He asked. "Um, Pineapple-Philly Cheese Steak." I said.  
Dad jotted it down. "Thanks, monkey boy." He said. Then he went downstairs.  
After a couple of moments, I closed the door and let Jake out.  
"You wanna stay for a bite?" I asked him. His face coiled in horror.  
"And eat that thing you dreamed up? What, you think I'm sucidial?" He asked.  
Jake instead opted to morph back to birdie (blech) and let me have my moments peace.

But, I later realized, he forgot to tell me why I could skip the mission.

~~~

We were roaches.

Disgusting, disturbing, indestructable, hyper-fast, awesome roaches.

Woohoo! I shouted, scampering around Ax and Tobias, just to bug the heck out of them.  
Stop it, we're supposed to be looking out for Controllers. Tobias muttered.  
We're supposed to be looking out for Controllers. I mocked.  
C'mon, it's not like I, Super-Roach Boy, am gonna hit you. I added.  
They both got real quiet after that. It didn't occur to me to wonder why.  
We're in position. Jake reported. Cassie, Rachel, demorph now.  
His thought-speak was a little hard to make out but that could've been because he was a whole huge parking lot away from us.  
Jake, d'you wanna be in the military? I asked him. 'Cause you've sure got the attitude for it. Demorph, now! Get shot now! Kiss my ass now!  
I was teasing him, duh, but Rachel didn't like it. Shut up, Marco. She said.  
Admit it, you just can't stand the sound of my sexy voice without--  
Vibrations! Ax cried, getting all of us, even me, back in the game.  
I guess Jake, Rachel and Cassie were busy demorphing because we didn't hear from them. But I could feel and that was plenty. My little roach body was shaking with vibrations. All my inner roach wanted to do was run.  
Didn't sound like such a bad idea to me.  
Then the vibrations stopped, and I could make out voices.

The same female and familiar male I heard two days ago.

"You know, I wish some birds would fly by, or maybe we'd see a cat." The girl said.  
"Why's that?" The guy asked, sounding like he wasn't listening.  
"Frying that bird relived a lot of stress. I figure a cat must be better. I mean, I'd shoot the host's, it's so annoying, but then she would cry."  
"You're saying you care about that?" The guy asked. The girl laughed.  
"'Course not, host-lover." She teased. "It's just that crying isn't enough for me."  
"I see." The guy whispered. "Wait, you didn't tell me we had a visitor!"

More vibrations! My roach body was flying up and down with each new pulse.  
Ax, Tobias, and I crashed into each other. OW!  
What the hell is going on? I asked no-one in particular.  
Something is disrupting the naturalistic balance in this area. Ax said.  
In English? I pleaded.  
Something very strange is happening. Ax told me, in a talking-to-idiots-voice.  
Gee, whoda thunkit? I mused.

But then the vibrations stopped in their intensity. There was the sound of something, like bricks maybe, hitting the cement. Then the vibration stopped altogether. Followed by the click of, I swear to god, high heels.

"Salutations, honorable leader and servant of the council." The guy and the girl murmured.  
"You can stop with the formality, Iniss. Temrash. Just call me Visser One."

My heart turned to ice.

I didn't see her, but I didn't have to. I knew that voice.

I had to be imagining it, but I knew I wasn't. I knew who that voice belonged to.

My mother. 

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Let the Angst Begin! (Reader's Response - the correct one this time!)

Patrick Blah - You guess right about the slashiness, though the _actual_ slash won't show up until Part Two. Glad you liked the Tobias/Ax scene, too.

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Lavendarangel - Glad you liked the ending and I'm just gonna say Jake was asleep because it's easier that way. As for the M/A stuff--I'm just gonna say the close friendship interpretation works...for now. And, hey, dun worry -- the next chapter will chock-full of T/R.

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Wicked-Wytch - **does the favorites list happy dance** Glad you like that Ax is human, and the Loren/Ax/Tobias stuff, and what M/A? Why, there's absolutely NO hinting at THAT whatsoever. And no T/R and C/J either, for that matter. =P  
And I really don't know yet what the Chee's role will be in this fic. It'll probably be a lesser role than what they had in the series, though. I'm almost certain of that.  
Sorry this chappie took a long time, too. Hope it was worth it.

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Neri - **hands over the 200th Reviewer Award** Orlando Bloom is nice, though I prefer Elijah Wood, myself. Guess it's just 'cuz Elijah's so sweet...**swoons** Anyway, OOPS. I always thought Cassie's parents owned the Gardens. **runs off to fix that**  
Now that you mention it, I guess Tobias's situation is a lot like Kreacher/Shmeigal's. Never thought of it that way before, though.  
And NOW Rachel is next, followed by Cassie, followed by someone who's identity I'm not giving away yet...and what two peepers? Did I mention someone other than Erek? **grumbles** Crap, I should really look over the stuff I don't rewrite...whoopsie!

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DJ Eagel - Sorry the FFN community is boring and I'm glad you liked the last chapter.

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Dysphoria - The Andalite body is a morph. And in two chapters, you'll know who gave Ax that morph. Hope you liked this chapter.

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dragondolphin1990 - Wow, you read all of the chapters nonstop? Um, that's...wow. I'm flattered. Thanks, I guess. I'm glad you liked the fic so much. And don't worry, Tobias now has a red-tailed hawk morph.

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Queen of Shadows - 'Sokay, I understand about the not reviewing -- I haven't written in a while because of computer problems. Glad you liked it, and hopefully the next one'll be quicker, since I am NOT going through three writings again.

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A.S. Amalon - **puts on the enraged face** What do you mean, you stopped reading?! Nah, I'm just kidding. =P Glad you liked the chappies and also, thanks for reminding me to mention this ficcie on anirarepair.

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freak show - Don't worry, I'm a-okay! And it was mostly the school that cut out of my time -- though the being sick part didn't help. Drunky-donkey-monkey? I like that. Sure fits Tobi's uncle. I thought Ax took the Andalite thing pretty well, too. And hey, webmonkey's an awesome site--I'm glad it's helped you out.

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D.H. L'Orange - Glad you liked the chappie and, yeah, I think Ax is probably pretty seriously freaked out right now. I sure would be. Erek, actually, knows everything about the Animorphs. But whether or not he'll tell them is another story. And the Ellimist...well, I'm keeping quiet about him for now. =)

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RasberryGirl - Wow, you haven't reviewed in a while! **hugs** Glad you like where the story's going--and I agree with you that Rachel probably cares a lot more for Marco than she knows -- though I like to think of it as more a sister/brother kind of love. But I do like the idea of Rachel pining after Marco, that's just great. =) And I'm glad you liked the Erek thing, and the Cassie/Ax scene. I'm planning to touch on the C/A quasi-friendship again sometime soon.

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Freak Apple - I guess it's a good thing you'll tolerate my cliffies, since I write a lot of 'em. And I'm glad you liked this chapter -- and you should write THE HOSPITAL. But I'd rather you write that M/A fic, mm-hm. In fact, I'm willing to do something drastic to get you to write that...like maybe never ever updating this again...or something like that. =P Nah, I'll just pester you about it a lot. That's easier. Oh, oh, and I wanted to ask -- can I interview you for the fanfic author interviews I'm doing at Anifandom? Pleeeassseeee?

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To whomever read this with the old reviewer's response: I'd saved the responses to my computer since my laptop (which I wrote the chappie on) didn't have internet access. Unfortunately, I ended up pasting the wrong responses (these are from, oh, chapter thirteen or fourteen, I think). Sorry, sorry, sorry!


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Rachel

Author's Note: It's rushed. I know it's rushed. But here's the deal -- I have three days to finish the last three chapters of this part of the story before I'm out-of-town, and after that, practice starts. So that's that. I know it's all very sudden, but I hope you guys like it and I'll have it all better explained later. Except Cassie's and the mystery character's chapter by Thursday! Enjoy!

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"A coward turns away, but a brave man's choice is danger." -Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC) 

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen  
-Rachel- **

I was shaking.

In rage.

It made me want to hurl seeing them talk to that, that _bitch_, the stupid slug whose bright idea it was to mess with my planet in the first place!  
I knew it wasn't them doing the talking. I knew it was the parasites inside.  
But it still looked like them.

It still looked like Mel and Tom.

Mel was the one with the beam last night. She was the one who shot Marco.  
Tom was the one who just stood there and watched.

"Jake, what now?" Cassie whispered. She, Jake, and I were hiding in the parking lot about a block away from the construction site.  
The plan had been for the three of us to sneak in and try to get some info out of Tom and Mel. But with Visser One here, things were complicated.  
Jake licked his lips. "Go roach. We're gonna join the others."  
"Let's do it." I hissed.  
Morphing is freaking scary, but it's also kind of cool. I mean, there is nothing more awesome than seeing your soft human flesh turn into the sleek, diamond-hard shell of a roach. The feeling as your body shrinks is like being strapped to a 'coaster on a fifty-foot drop.

It's amazing.

The only thing I didn't like about the roach was that it wasn't big enough for me to rip the Yeerk slugs out of their heads. But beggars can't be choosers.

In a few minutes we had morphed and speed-scampered to the others.  
They're not doing much talking. Jake griped.  
What'd you except? They'd tell us everything about them? Marco quipped.  
His voice (or thought-voice) sounded odd to me. Kinda bitter.  
But I had to be imagining it.  
Are you sure we're in hearing range? Cassie asked.  
Abso-fucking-lutely. Marco said. His voice was acid.  
Marco, that was totally uncalled for, you little midget! I shouted. What the hell is your problem? I demanded.  
I don't have a problem, _Xena_. He mocked me.  
But, lucky for him, he shut up after that.

"How's the construction of the new pool?" Asked Visser One.  
"Splendid, Visser." Said Tom's Yeerk.  
Melissa's Yeerk had plastered pride all over her mug. "More than 'splendid'."  
Visser One raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate, Iniss 666."  
"The Pool Area is about twenty-five percent complete. Temrash here," Mel gestured over at Tom, "Thought we should test it."  
"Meaning?" Visser One asked.  
Melissa's face lit up in a full-teethed grin. "We infest."  
"Just a few, maybe two or three, to see how ignorant these humans are."  
"Remarkably." Commented Visser One, her face tight and controlled. "But they aren't all idiots." She added. "Unlike that glorywhore you work for, I'm sure you're both aware of that. Which is why I want to know, how are you hiding this?"  
"The thickest walls known to man or Yeerk." Tom said. "Soundproof."  
"A couple layers of them surrounding the whole Pool. No one's going to be able to hear a thing. Not even the loudest screams." He added.  
Visser One folded her arms. "Well, I'm impressed."  
"It was my--it was inspired." Tom admitted, acting sheepish.  
Visser One nodded. "I understand, Temrash. Won't stop me from throwing a good word in for you and Iniss. It'd be a shame if Visser Three let _your_ heads roll." She said. Then I heard the click of heels.  
"Where are you going, Visser?" Asked Iniss 666. She got a hearty laugh.  
"To try and find a decent hotel in this town!"

She's leaving! I cried. What now?  
Now we leave. Jake ordered. We know enough, no need to cause trouble.

I felt like I'd been slapped in the face.

Are you kidding me? Jake, that's your _brother_ out there! How can you just turn away when you have a chance--  
A chance to do what, Rachel? He demanded. To crush the slug in Tom's brain? Yeah, right! There's no way I could hide him, Rach. They'd _know_. Or do you not remember what Erek said? The Yeerks are everywhere! There's nothing we can do. So just shut up, okay?  
You did not just tell me to shut up, Jacob John Berenson. I said.  
Yes, I did, Rachel Mary. So shut up before I do something stupid. He said.  
Like what? I challenged.  
Like saving my brother. Jake whispered.  
It was the tone in his voice that did it for me. That made me realize he was right. There was nothing he could to save Tom. Nothing we could do.

Tom was trapped. Melissa, too. And I couldn't do a thing about it.

~~~

"So, which one?" I asked Cassie.

We were in the halls on the way to second period. It was the day after the mission at the mall, which I did a pretty good job hiding from my mom and the brats, if I may say so myself.  
"But I don't know them well enough." Cassie pouted.  
"Oh, come on! So what? It's not like you're really gonna go out." I said.  
Cassie blushed. "Okay," She relented. "But promise you won't tell?"  
"Pinky swear." I said.  
"Jake." She said. "Out of all the guys, I'd probably date Jake."  
I tried to look surprised. "Why?" I asked.  
"Well, he is really nice." Cassie admitted. "And cute. And I don't know, I just--there's something about him, y'know?"  
"Well, not really, since he's my cousin." I said, then shrugged. "But okay."  
"What about you?" Cassie asked me.  
"I don't know." I said. "Jake's my cousin, so that's just bleugh, and while Ax is a nice guy and all he's a bit of a prick, so that just leaves Marco and Tobias." I said. "Marco's usually the kind of guy I'd date, except for the short part. I mean, he is cute and I love funny guys, but I just don't have date-y feelings for him. Then Tobias--we're just friends." I said.  
"Which is why you held his hand for an hour?" Cassie asked.  
"Hey!" I shouted. Then I gave up. "Okay, I guess I'd date him, but I like the friend thing. It's been a long time since I've been friends with a guy."  
Cassie smiled like she understood. I loved her for that. She made me feel almost like I had my best friend back.

And maybe I did.

"See ya!" I said, giving Cassie a wave goodbye as she went into her class.  
Then I sprinted off to Gymnastics.

Only to find myself whisked away to Chapman's office moments later.  
Where I was now busy applying my evil eye. "You say you don't know."  
"I really don't, I'm sorry." I said, turning up the innocent-little-girl voice. "If there were any way I could help you, I'd do it in a heartbeat."  
Chapman rapped his fingers against the desk. "It's not me you'd be helping."  
"It's your friend. He needs support now. Level with me Rachel, isn't that what you kids say these days? I mean, aren't you worried?" He asked.  
_Worried what? That you'll infest him, you Yeerk slug? That you'll try and trick him like I know you tricked Mel?_ "Nope." I said.  
I'd decided to play tough-girl for Chapman. Even though, to tell the truth, I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. Hit something. Someone.  
"It doesn't concern you that your friend ran away from home?" He asked.  
I shook my head. "I told you no, didn't I? He's got his own reasons, don't you think? Why bother asking me, 'cause I don't know, Mr. Chapman."  
"We want to help him any way we can. I want to help him." Chapman said.  
_By putting a slug in his head?_ "That's great but I don't care."  
I got up out of my seat and started walking to the door.  
Chapman jumped up after me. "You don't have to act brave, Rachel."  
"I'm not." I said loud enough for him to hear.  
"All right, I'll believe you." He said. "But you know, you've sure changed from the girl that used to come over every day for Soda and Fruit-Rollups. I remember you sleeping over every other weekend. You and Melissa would stay up and paint each other's toenails and whatnot, but I guess that's done with, isn't it? You've got a whole new group of friends now and you've dropped my daughter like a bad habit." He said.  
I felt my nerves turn to steel. "Why the hell does that matter?" I asked.  
Chapman took a step back. Surprised, I guess, by what I'd said.  
"I've told you what you ordered me here for, so shove off! And since when is a student's personal life your business? Tobias has his own reasons for what he did, why don't you ask him what they are? And what's between your daughter and me is between me and your daughter. I sure don't remember you ever being this nosy, Mr. Chapman. This is job-losing nosy, if you don't watch your back." I said. Then I slammed door on my way out.

I didn't start to cool off until lunch and even then I was stewing.  
But that wasn't because of all the buttons Chapman pushed. It was because of what he'd told me. What I should've known in the first place.  
"You could've told me." I whispered, stopping to fill my cup.  
Tobias got confused-face. "What are you talking about?" He asked me.  
I paid the lunchlady and went out to our table with Tobias trailing me.  
By the time we were there, I'd stopped with the whispering. The others weren't there yet and I really wasn't in the mood to be meek about this.  
"You ran away from home." I hissed. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
Tobias' eyes went wide in shock. "How'd you find out?"  
"Chapman. Chapman was asking me if I knew why you ran away, and you know what? I had to tell him I had, frankly, no freaking clue!" I was yelling now.  
And I didn't care. I felt hurt. "Rachel, I didn't want you to know."  
"Well, I think it might be too late for that." I said.  
I put down my tray and started to storm off. "Rachel, wait!" Tobias cried.  
I marched my butt right out of the cafeteria and pushed open the door to the commons, where all the kids were filing in, wanting to get inside and grab a bite to eat. Then without warning Tobias grabbed my shoulder.  
Spun me around. Made me look him in the eyes. "He hit me." Tobias whispered.  
"My Uncle Rodney ripped me up with his belt. That's why I ran away. And I-I was going to tell you, but with everything that's happened, I didn't."  
He looked me right in the eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Then I just plopped down on the grass. Tobias sunk down next to me.  
"You don't need to apologize." I whispered, staring at my hands.  
"I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. It's just--you remember that creepy girl last night? That was Melissa. My ex-best friend has turned into that thing and it's because of me! If I'd never gone off on her, she wouldn't gotten infested. Then I find out about you, and-and Tobias, you're like the only friend I have right now. I know that's still no excuse for me to go off on you, but..." I shut my mouth.  
I was almost crying. I didn't want to cry in front of Tobias.  
But then I felt him pull me close. Felt him hug me.

Felt him kiss me.  
And felt me kiss him back.

We pulled back as quick as we'd pulled in, shocked at ourselves and each other.  
Tobias was the one to break the ice.  
"We should go back inside." He said, avoiding my eyes.  
"Yeah." I agreed. "The others are probably wondering where we are."  
Tobias nodded. "Uh-huh. And we shouldn't mention this to them."  
"Oh, of course not." I agreed. "On my dead body."  
"On our dead bodies." Tobias amended. "Our deaddity dead bodies."  
Tobias raised an eyebrow. "I don't get points for emphasis?" I asked.  
"Only if I like the emphasis." Tobias said.  
I stuck my tongue out at him. "Well screw you." I said.  
"Isn't that moving a little fast?"  
"Not compared to Romeo and Juliet."

~~~

The rest of the day sped by. It wasn't long before I found myself in my room, scribbling out answers to my Algebra homework.  
Not the easiest thing in the world when my head was filled with anything but equations. The second I decided to give myself a little break, I heard a loud knock crash against my door.  
"Jordi, what is it?" I yelled.  
"You've got a phone call! Oh, and Mom wants to know what you want from Chinden." My biggest little brat told me.  
I climbed out of my rolling chair and opened the door. "Sushi." I said.  
Jordan made a face. "How can you _eat_ that stuff?" She asked.  
"A little wasabi, a little hot sauce..." I murmured.  
"You are so gross." Jordan said.  
I ruffled her hair. "You don't know the half of it." I said.

Then I raced her downstairs to see who could nab the phone first.  
Which was me, of course. I had years' experience with phones.

"Hello, who's there?" I asked, watching as Jordan went to color with Sarah.  
"And old friend." Whispered the voice on the other line.

I gripped the phone so tight I almost broke the receiver.

"Mel, why the hell are you calling me?" I growled into the mouthpiece.  
"Je-sus, PMS much?" She exclaimed. "I just wanted to, y'know, talk."  
I took the deepest, calmest breath I could manage and tried to remember I wasn't talking to the real Mel anymore. I was talking to the bug, the one that went mad with joy at one of its comrades dying. The insect that almost killed us all last night. "Talk about what?" I asked her.  
"An invite," Mel cooed. "To the new mall."  
"Mel, that mall won't open for another month." I said.  
"Not to the finished mall, dummy! To the construction site. Dad told me the construction workers and the suit-and-tie crowd want to see what teens think of the place. So he said I could invite some friends." Melissa said.  
"No offense, but since are we friends again?" I asked.

There was a pause. Just like Mel would've done.

"I thought maybe we could, you know, make up." Melissa whispered.  
Or, I should say, the slug whispered.  
Still, it felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart with a cold ice pick.  
'Cause I had no doubt how Mel had gotten her pet slug. Because of me.  
"Yeah, maybe." I whispered. Another, shorter, pause.  
"You could bring some of your new friends, too, I wouldn't mind. The more the merrier, right? Plus, if you didn't want to hang with me--"  
"Yeah. Yeah, maybe." I told her, feeling every inch of my body shake.  
"So is that a yes?" The Yeerk asked me, with Mel's happy voice.  
"I-I don't know!" I shouted. Then I pulled the phone from my ear.  
"But, Rach!" Melissa cried. I hung up on her.

I could see my reflection in the mirror. I was pale. Still trembling.

I didn't want to know why.

I started back upstairs to my homework when all of the sudden it hit me.

I ran back to the phone and speed-dialed the newest number on my list.

"Hello?" A voice asked me, tired and disgruntled. A boy's voice.  
Or so it sounded.  
"Erek?" I asked. "I need you to contact the others and tell them to get to the Gardens _now_. Big duty morphs, the worse the better."  
"Okay, okay. I'll do it." Erek promised. "But why?"

I checked to make sure my sisters were out of hearing range.

"The Yeerks are going to test their new Pool."

* * *

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Bother, bother, bother...(Reader's Response)

Patrick Blah - Glad you liked the chappie...and hey, hey, Marco doesn't have a longing for Ax. **coughyetcough** Glad you liekd the "monkey boy" joke too, and I hope you like the mystery character!

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Loony Lovegood - Gah! You haven't reviewed in ages! I was wondering if you'd dropped this fic like, to quote Chapman "a bad habit". Glad it didn't disappoint -- and no comments about the R/M and A/M. **whistles innocently** And hey, what other language could Rachel take? Most American school don't teach Hebrew -- but, hey, maybe she and Jake are German Jews. I'm part Greman Jew. And I can safely tell you that I'm not telling you a thing about the mystery character. =)

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A.S. Amalon - Wow, like, a bazillion reviews! **does the happy dance** Either way, glad you liked the chapter and the pairing fun.

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Early - **HUG!** I haven't heard from you in ages! And yay, I got you to read a little of this, even if it was just the first chapter. Go me! Now, to find someway to convince you to read the whole thing...hmm...

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Tinnuelenath - Hate to break it to you, but Marco's still gonna have the Rachel jones (get it? Jones?) for a while, birdboy kissage or no. And I thought Spandexed!Jake was funny too.

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DH L'Orange - Yep, good 'ol V1 is back in action. And, oh, what concidence about the bird morphs? =P And someday, maybe over X-Mas Break, I will fix the immense amount of grammar/spelling/plot/etc mistakes in this fic. I really will, I mean it. But I have, like, no time anymore. Plus I'm lazy. That never helps.

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Bird1111 - Glad you like it and welcome to the growing Club of Human-Ax Fans.

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RasberryGirl - Ditto, glad to see you. =) **hugs** And oh yeah, the deleted chapter was a bitch. I don't want to think about it. (Almost led to a broken laptop, that did.) And yeah, I can't believe the whole fic took place in six days (eight now, I think), especially since it's taken me about six months to write it. And, hey, if I can almost surprise you with Marco's mom, that awesome. And I do think Marco/Rachel is cute, but I also doubt they'd last...but I think that's just me, so never mind.

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freak_Apple88 - Where. The. Hell. Are. You?! You've been off FFN for ages, I'm getting worried...swear, I'm gonna email you when I get back. Yep yep. Anyway, glad the fic roxed your sox and I hope you pick THE HOSPITAL back up someday.

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Lavenderangel - I'm not dead. Very tired, yes. But not dead, yay! You're right, Marcie needs a boyfriend...er, girlfriend. Yeah, that's what I meant. **pretends to be innocent** And Tobias gave Rachel a hug, does that count? Though I think Rachel kissage beats a hug any day. And yeah, I gotta start working in Toby--soonish, I promise!

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someone - Well, I updated. That's kinda like updating now, right? Maybe? Glad you like the fic, though.

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Doctor Strangelove - Very glad to have you back on the readin'-n'-reviewin' boat. I really missed having someone to trade strange M/A fic ideas with. =( And I do know the Tobias-abuse this is cliched -- but I also think it's probably true, and I wanted to explore that. But don't worry, this fic won't turn angst-a-rific. For a while. And it's mostly not Tobias angst by then. And, yeah, everything's going sucky for the characters (minus the fact Tobias fianlly got some Rachel-nookie), but isn't that the best thing?

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Neri - She is converted to Buffy! Yay! **hugs** Good to know I'm not the only one who fell head-over-heels for it. =) And I don't like Spike dying either. But he's back on Angel now (which is also really, really good, by the way) so woohoo! I kind of liked the ending, 'cept they killed my Anya. **sniffs** I really loved Anya. And now she and Xander will never get to have weird kids and...waaah. =( And I miss Tara, too. And Oz, now that I think of it -- but I have to admit that I **gasp** have not been able to watch, like, any of season six or seven. My stupid TV channels won't show it...I'm so mad about that. Heehee, but I want Buffy to show up on Angel, so Angel and Spike can get all grr argh again -- even though, and don't hit me, I want Angel to win. It's just...he's so sweet with Buffy and so wrong with Cordelia! She should be dating Wesley! (Angel-babble. Ignore it.)

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freak show - Well, I hope I gave you a bit of a look into Rachel's brain. Glad you liked the chapter!

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Marduk42 - Glad you like it and I can only hope the story stays good. (I really do mean that in a more postivie way.) Keep reading! 


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Cassie

Author's Note: We're in rushed-land again. But, on the bright side, this part of the story is over (after the next chappie, anyway) -- and now the really juicy stuff can begin, possibly next weekend. Yay!  
Hope you guys enjoy it and I wish you all a happy Turkey Day.

**

Threads of Fate

**  
Chronicle One 

* * *

"War is not nice." - Barbara Bush (1925 - )

* * *

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Chapter Eighteen  
-Cassie-

Well, I wasn't expecting Erek to call me, let's just say that.

But I picked up a jacket, some shoes, jeans, and morphing suit and started working my way outside.

Or that was the plan.

"Where are you going, Pumpkin?" Dad slurred.  
It took every bit of will I had to stop myself from jumping in the air.  
Dad's eyes were half-shut with eye boogers and he was rocking back and forth.  
From lack of sleep, though, not booze or something like that. My Dad doesn't drink. Ever. Not even on holidays.  
"I'm gonna go meet a friend." I told him. Which was true.  
I snapped my fingers, trying to think of who would sound the least suspicious. "Um, Rachel!" I shouted. "You remember her, right? Blonde? Tall?"  
"Yeah, I remember her." Dad murmured. "She's a firecracker."  
I laughed as his mouth ripped open for a big yawn. "You go have fun, I think I'm gonna go take a nap." Dad told me.  
I smiled and opened the front door. "You go do that, Dad."  
Then I kissed his forehead. "Goodnight."

I walked outside and heard Dad shut the door behind me.  
Watched him turn off the lights.  
Then I sprinted for the barn.  
The doors groaned in the night as I opened them just wide enough for me to fit. Then I hid my jacket, jeans, and shoes in the rafters.

After that, I morphed.

A feather pattern broke out over my skin, followed by a pair of tiny wings that sprouted from my back. My fingernails and toenails metamorphosed into claws and talons moments before my mouth grew into a curved beak.  
When I felt the osprey's mind emerge under my own I knew the changes were done.

And so I flew out into the night.

I'm going to admit, right here and now, that I was really tempted to spend my night joyflying. Forget what Erek had said and enjoy myself.  
I didn't want to get big bad morphs. I mean, I'm not stupid. I knew what we would be using them for -- to fight.  
To fight slaves who would've left us alone if they'd had better luck.  
But like I said, I'm not stupid. I know someone has to fight.

I'm just not sure I'm the one for the job.

But I still kept on my way. Because I couldn't forget her.  
I couldn't forget seeing the lady Visser Three, aka Victor Trent, had shot.  
He killed for no reason other than to test his gun. It made me sick inside.

And I thought, as I flew into the Gardens, _I'm gonna do something about it._

~~~

Rachel was already there, waiting for me in the bird exhibit.  
We caught the boys near the lion and tigers and bears moments later.

What's-- Jake asked Rachel before his beak sucked back into his brain.  
Moments later lips emerged his bird face. "Going on?"  
I turned my (now human) eyes to Rachel. I wanted to know what was up, too.  
"Mel--Melissa Chapman--called me about half an hour ago. She's, um, the host body for that freaky Yeerk chick at the construction site." She said.  
"Which one?" Ax asked, almost all human except that he had wings instead of arms.  
"The one without the heels." Rachel said. "Anyway, you guys remember how she and her buddy wanted to start seeing how good their new pool works? Well, Mel called me up. Asks me if I want to go to the mall, tell the construction workers what I think of the place. Says I can bring along all my friends too."  
"Wait, wait." Marco said, holding up a clawed hand. "Does Mel know about us?"  
We all turned to look at Ax, who was shaking his head. "No." He whispered.  
"There's no way she could find out, even with her Dad trailing Tobias. Miss Smith won't let him within fifty feet of our house." Ax said.  
"Who?" Marco asked.  
"My foster mom." Ax explained.  
"Oh." Marco replied.  
"Um, back to the point?" Rachel asked. We all turned back to her.  
"After I called Erek I hit my laptop. Did a little research. Turns out the jamboree is tonight." Rachel said.  
"So then, big strong morphs and now." Jake said. He looked at me.  
"Cassie, your parents work here, so you show us the way."

I led them to the wild animal exhibits. "Wildlife to your left, bathrooms to your right." I said.  
Ax was the only one not getting a morph. His Andalite morph was enough.  
The six of us creeped through the "back doors", so to speak. There was no way we'd get to the animals through the cages, so we went through the feeding area.  
"Okay, question." Tobias said. "How are we going to do this?"  
"Put our hands on these babies and pray for the best." Marco murmured.

Just as we stepped in front of the tiger exhibit.

Lucky for us, all the big cats were dozing off. How long they'd keep dozing, well, that was something I wished I knew.  
Jake was the one who stepped up to the plate. He tiptoed into Tigerland, doing his very best to not make _a sound_. Then he walked up to one of them and brushed his fingers against its fur.

For one horrible moment he stood there, unblinking, with his fingers on the tiger. None of us even dared to breathe.  
Then Jake drew back and backpedaled out of the exhibit.  
His face was white, and he was trembling, but he turned to me and smiled. "That wasn't so bad." He grinned, then leaned on me to stop his shaking.

About twenty minutes later, we'd all acquired our battle morphs--except for Tobias. We were headed off to the lions when the sirens started blaring.  
"What the hell?" Rachel shouted. "How'd they know we were here?"  
"No time to ask!" Jake shouted back. "Everyone, bird morphs, now!"  
In a matter of minutes our mishappened flock took the skies.

And flew to the construction site.

~~~

There's two guys with those laser beam things in the parking lot.

Tobias and Marco were circling the area around the mall, trying to scope out the situation and more important, find us a safe place to demorph.  
And two ladies with guns, well, dunking people's heads into the pool.  
Then Marco groaned. I think that's how they get infested.  
Looks like it. Tobias said. But they're hiding it pretty well.

"No, no, no, nooooo!" A woman's scream ripped through the night.

Except for that part, of course. Tobias amended.  
Found any place to demorph yet? Rachel asked the boys.  
Nope. The place is pretty well guarded. Marco told her.  
Wait! I think I see a place. Tobias said. You guys see those cars off to the side, in the parking lot? It's out of their range. Go there.  
We all flew behind a cluster of cars with Marco and Tobias following us.  
Then our human bodies emerged from our bird morphs.  
I felt exhausted before I even started focusing on my next morph. It seemed like this morphing stuff took a lot out of a person.  
Especially if you had to do it, oh, two or three times.  
Then I started my second morph. Sharp claws jutted out from my fingers and my mouth filled with sharp teeth. Grey fur started running down my back.  
My ears became pointed, more acute. I could hear people screaming.  
Soon I had become full wolf, with the speed, grace and teeth.

And everything that came with it.

When the wolf's mind appeared under my own, I found it pretty easy to control. But that might've been because the wolf was surrounded by animals that were a lot bigger and dangerous than him.

A tiger, a grizzly bear, a gorilla, an Andalite, and a red-tailed hawk.

The wolf considered eating the hawk, but I quashed that thought quick.

Our little troop of mismatched animals marched up behind the Human-Controllers. Marco, in gorilla morph, tapped one on the shoulder.  
"Whaddya want, pal--oh my god!" He shouted.  
What, what? Is there something on my face? Does this suit make me look fat?  
Then Marco knocked both men upside the head with his huge hands.  
They were out cold. Wow, that was easy. Marco commented.

Then we started getting shot at.

"Keep firing, Trillim!" Shouted Melissa Chapman, firing at us with another Dracon Beam. "Kill those Andalite scum!"  
Andalites? Jake wondered. Do they think we're Andalites?  
"Die, you Andalite bastards!" Shouted one of the Human-Controllers.  
A volley of bullets flew in our direction. Rachel took the brunt of them. I was learning quick that it'd take a lot of bullets to take a grizzly down. Jake let loose a growl that made my whole body shake.  
Still, the Human-Controller with the gun kept firing. Maybe out of fear.  
"Niskish, take the humans. Get them out of here!" Tom ordered.  
I saw a woman Controller, with long dark blonde hair, walk into a cage full of humans. I ran in after her.  
And as soon as she was in my range, I locked my teeth on her leg.

As soon as I heard her howl of pain, part of me wanted to stop.  
But as soon as I remembered the screams I'd heard from the humans, I clamped down even harder. The Human-Controller dug her nails into my back.  
"Get off, please!" She cried. "I'm not going to kill them, you Andalite fool!"  
The voice sounded familiar to me. But I didn't think about that.  
No, but you're going to enslave them, aren't you? I asked her.  
"I--" The Human Controller whimpered. Then she slammed her body against something. I heard the sound of bodies hitting metal. The trapped humans.  
"I've just knocked them out. Please, please, let me go. I'll free them if that's what you want." The Human-Controller begged.  
Why should I believe you? I asked her, my teeth still pressed into her.  
"Don't you know the wrath of Visser Three, Andalite? I'd rather become a traitor than face that. He'll kill us all if this project fails!"

I wanted to believe the Yeerk. I wanted to trust her.

All right, Yeerk. I'll spare you. I said. There's an empty car in the parking lot. It should be large enough to fit all of these people. Take them and go.  
Then I released the woman's leg. I could taste her blood in my mouth.  
She picked me up and hugged me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Then she threw me out of the cage and back into the fight.

TSEEW! TSEEW! Both Tom and Melissa were firing their Dracon beams at us.  
Marco, now lacking an arm, was holding the gun-toting human-Controller in a deathgrip. Rachel was guarding him, swatting off the array of human-Controllers following them. Jake was busy roaring his head off at the oncoming human-Controllers while Ax was busy dismembering them with his Andalite tail.  
Tobias was up in the air ducking and weaving between Tom and Mel's beams, trying his hardest to steal their weapons.

With my sharp vision I spied the blonde Controller carrying two humans on her back. She threw them in the empty car, just like I'd told her to.  
My nerves started screaming. I could only hope she'd keep up with our deal.  
If she didn't...

I'd do worse than tear up her leg.

"What the hell is Niskish doing?" Melissa whispered.  
Rachel, go get that Controller! Jake yelled.  
Which one? Rachel asked.  
The blonde! The chick in the cage! Jake screamed.  
No! I gasped, running after Rachel as she started lumbering after the stumbling Human-Controller, who was carrying another two people.

"Holy hell, that bitch!" Melissa hissed. "Temrash, gun, now!"

I sped up and got inches behind Rachel as the blonde controller threw two more bodies in the car. Then she turned around and faced Rachel.  
No, don't! I screamed.

Rachel turned to me. Cassie, what--?

Then the bullet cracked through the night. The Human-Controller fell back into the car. Her white shirt looked like she'd split wine on it.  
But that was no wine. It was blood.

They killed one of their own. Rachel said, dumbfounded. Bastards!  
She ran back into the fight. I stepped inside the car.  
Standing there, seeing her dead body, was the first time I got a good look at her. And then I realized why she sounded so familiar.

Ms. McClay? I whispered.

Then I ran out of the car. I couldn't stay in there another second.

~~~

We ended up retreating after Melissa and Tom called for backup. We had no chance against a whole organized group of Human-Controllers.

When I got home, I just laid on my bed and sobbed for the longest time.  
For Ms. McClay, for the humans in the cages and in the truck, who were probably slaves by now. For myself and my friends.

Because I don't think I realized it until tonight. Until I felt my teeth dig into Ms. McClay's leg. We were at war.  
Real, honest-to-god war. The kind where people died all the time.  
And that had been our life, day-in and day-out, fighting for our lives and for the human race. That used to be _my_ life.

And Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Marco, and Ax's lives, too.

I would never forget this night. The screams of the humans, their agony at being infested against their will. Being shot at.  
Realizing I was willing to kill and hurt.  
Even if the person being trapped by a Yeerk was someone I knew.

Because it was my duty. Because someone had to do it.

It was war.

And it had just begun.

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Waaah, Tara! (Reader's Response)

Oedipal Kat - Glad to have you reading again, and I hope the fic's good enough for you stay this time. =)

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Patrick Blah - It's been ages since I wrote Rachel, I'm glad you think I did a good job -- and I'm glad someone else liked Tobias' joke. (He's got a sense of humor!) And, hey, I don't mind if you keep writing the same review over and over, not that you are...and I'm also glad the Rach/Mel scene worked out.

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*ROGUE* - Woohoo! Another person likes the fic! And I will try to add in some J/C soon, so don't worry.

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freak show - Gah, flattery...**is at a loss for words** And I'm glad you like that the kids are more like real kids -- that always bugged me about the books, so that's why I have them act like they do here. And I will keep up the work!

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LJstagflower4e - Hi, long time no see! Or write, or something like that. **hugs**

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Tinnuelenath - You've reviewed this fic once or twice, don't worry. And I threw in the C/R as a treat for my anirarepair buddies. =) Plus I like R/C, though this fic will stay R/T, 'cause I like them more. And yes, it will become M/A...just wait. **evil grin**

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Doctor Strangelove - If you like the word glorywhore, I've got one you'll LOVE -- manwhore. A term I will use in this fic someday. Probably by Rachel, to Marco. And, hey, I love it when people adore my fic. =P It's always a nice feelin'. And I'd love to see you write Rachel, myself. Glad you liked the line by Ax, and I'm very muchly into Marco holding a naked Ax, thank you very much. And expect more of the Tobias/Loren storyline in the future. And I'll try to remember to throw in Doctor Ben Glory again. 


	20. Prelude: The First

Author's Note: I want to say that the name of the mystery character is complete coincedence. It is NOT a Buffy ref, I came up with ages before I even knew season three or seven existed. And warning, this chapter is insanely short. Enjoy!

Threads of Fate  
**Chronicle One**

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**-Prelude-  
The First**

My name is The First.

I am the cosmic referee.

And much to my annoyance, I've been called back to my duty again. Neither Toomin, the brilliant loser, or the vile Crayak could stand the results of what was supposed to be the last game.

But I suppose it was naive of me to expect them to accept a tie.

Toomin, or Ellimist as he insists upon being called, made the first move.  
He banished the Yeerks and resurrected one of the dead warriors, Rachel. He changed the form of the Andalite and twisted the fate of Elfangor's son. He also altered the state of Elfangor's beloved.

And for the time being, that was enough for him.

But I had to also let Crayak play. For, you see, I am bound by rules as well. Well, really, just one rule -- which is that I give no player an advantage over the other.

Crayak re-established the Yeerk threat and resurrected the warrior Ellimist had left in the dust. He changed the fate of a player as well, though one of much less important than the _aristh_. At the time, anyway.

It didn't take me long to realize that Crayak had tipped the scales in his favor, positioning himself to win the game without much challenge.

So I started sending the flashbacks. I warned Ellimist's players of the Yeerks and told them of each other. I also attempted to warn them of Crayak's warrior, but things did not go as planned in that case.

Then Toomin too began to tip the scales. He guided the ex-nothlit to the morphing cube and gave the ex-Andalite the power to morph.

And you know what I've realized? That's pretty damn ungrateful. If it wasn't against the rules, I'd end the game here. Unfinished, unresolved.

But I can restore the old game. I can stop moderating this amateur game of chess, if I find a way to make it all right again.

And I think I've found a way.

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